Tall Ships

The Tall Ships came to Vancouver

And we packed the kids

Took aboard a stowaway

And went for a two hour tour

"Stay behind the markers!"

A voice of Authority boomed from the air

"Stay behind the markers!"


"What markers?

Where?

Oh.

Those ones, those markers those boats are in front of?

Those markers".





Captain Vancouver, BlackBeard

Napoleon, Columbus

Wars and commerce, silver and gold

New lands and exotic everything

Endless blue skies, flapping sails and a multitude of flags

Lines of people trooping off the booze cruisers going for their own

Two hour tour


"Say behind the markers!"

A brave rower

(Not behind the markers)

A red rescue boat giving us wake

Bright sun

(Did I mention the endless, blue, shrieking, cloud filled sky)

"Whose flag is that? Be careful of that door!

Put your camera strap around your neck.

Hang on!"

Genuine laughter at a corny joke

Low grunts when a speedboat cuts too close

Short lessons easily learned

Long lessons still in the making

Tired

Time to go home

Hundreds of years

History, written and exploding around us

All wrapped up In a two hour tour