These are the poems contained in Cicely Fox Smith's book Rhymes of the Red Ensign. Published in 1919 by Hodder and Stoughton
CONTENTS
Lieutenant Shellback, R.N.R. [page7] oldpoetry.com/opoem/52541
Derelict [page11] oldpoetry.com/opoem/58273
The Lone Hand [ page13] oldpoetry.com/opoem/52542
The Clyde-Built Clipper [ page15] oldpoetry.com/opoem/52651
Merchantmen . [ page19] oldpoetry.com/opoem/52645
The Open Boat [ page21] oldpoetry.com/opoem/52653
Pals .... [ page23] oldpoetry.com/opoem/52650
London River . [ page25] oldpoetry.com/opoem/52649
Poor Old Ship [ page27] oldpoetry.com/opoem/52652
'Leave Her, Johnnie!' [ page31] oldpoetry.com/opoem/52795
The Boats Of The 'Albacore' [ page33] oldpoetry.com/opoem/52797
Hans Dans An' Me [ page35] oldpoetry.com/opoem/52799
The Old 'Vindictive' [ page37] oldpoetry.com/opoem/52800
Wireless [ page39] oldpoetry.com/opoem/52801
Salvage [ page41] oldpoetry.com/opoem/55961
The Call [ page43] oldpoetry.com/opoem/58274
Half-Past Eleven Square [ page47] oldpoetry.com/opoem/55828
The Glory Of The Marne [ page51] oldpoetry.com/opoem/58275
The Dead For England [ page53] oldpoetry.com/opoem/58276
The Yarn Of The Blue Star Line [ page55] oldpoetry.com/opoem/58277
The 'Good Intent' [ page59] oldpoetry.com/opoem/55282
A Channel Rhyme [ page63] oldpoetry.com/opoem/55285
Shipmate Sorrow [ page65] oldpoetry.com/opoem/55264
The Old Shellback [ page67] oldpoetry.com/opoem/48701
The Anchor Watch [ page69] oldpoetry.com/opoem/58278
Christmas Night [ page71] oldpoetry.com/opoem/53030
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Thanks for the comments and generous applause.
I intemd to add the poem you sent to the OLDPOETRY archive. I'll see if I can ferret out more of the same and if possible do a column or Australian Sea Poems. It seems like a good project.
If you, or anyone else reading this, have suggestions drop me an I.M.
Jim S -
Here is one in return, by Ernest Favenc (born 1845)
Song of the Torres Strait Islands
Bold Torres, the sailor, came and went,
with his swarthy, storm-worn band,
he saw Saavedra's Isle to north-
to south a loom of land.
He left unknowing his name would live
through ages with big fate,
as the first to stem with broad-bowed ship
the wash of the Northern Strait.
Round the western coast the Dutch ships crept,
seeking the hidden way;
some left their bones on that bare, west coast,
and the others sailed away.
Turned back, turned back, by reef and shoal,
twin guards of the narrow gate-
the path of the sun from the eastern seas-
they were mocked by the Northern Strait.
Year in, year out, the monsoons swept
o'er the isles of the coral shore,
The savage tossed in his frail canoe,
but the white man came no more.
No sail in sight at the flash of dawn!
No sail at the gloaming late!
Silent and still was the lonley pass-
Unsought was the Northern Strait.
A rattle of arms and a roll of drums,
and the meteor flag flies free,
as an English voice proclaims King George
Lord of the tropic sea.
The parrots scream as the volleys flash;
the gulls their haunts vacate;
and the 'south-east' fills the 'Endeavours' sails
as she heads through the Northern Strait.
And ever since then has our watch been kept
o'er the ships in the narrow way,
where the smoking funnels flare by night,
and the house-flags flaunt by day.
Ever the same strong south-east blows,
and ever we watch and wait,
the wardens we, in Australia's name,
the guard of the Northern Strait
Edited on May 05, 10:49 because ''. -
Thank you for posting this! I look forward to detailed perusal. As an Australian I have sometimes wondered why Australia has relatively little sea-poetry. I think it is partly because by the time Australian settlement was well under way the sea was becoming less dangerous and more prosaic.
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A routine job niece Shahrzad but, as you may have gathered, I like this lady's work andit has not yet been fully catalogued anywhere. I hope to accomplish that job and see an anthology of her work published.
Uncle Jim -
A wonderful job my dear uncle.
Shahrzad
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