When ships are on the horizon
And sailors set sail
When the bar maids stop serving
their liquor and ale
*
When the sun’s sinking low
In the far away sky
And moon and the stars
Are gathering nye
*
When the maidens all cry
And they kiss their goodbyes
when the land becomes distant
A vision fading with time
*
When the towns become quiet
And the dogs fail to bark
And the town closes up
With no movement at dark
*
And the owls can be heard
Singing their soft lonely song
Then you know that for now
All the men folk are all gone
*
For a time, it is still
No one wrestles or fights
Young boys take their charge
As the man for a time
*
The women sing songs
And tell their children at night
Stories of the ships out at sea
With their sails full in flight
*
Tales of victories and war
And of the grandest of treasures
Some are fierce and profound
Some full of fancy and pleasure
*
When the ships on horizon
And the storms start to roll
Everyman buckles down
Holding tight to the hull
*
And they pray for their lives
And the ones that they love
Mother’s, father’s, Daughters,
Sons and their wives
*
Working hard to keep this large ship- belly down
Keeping eye on the land
As to not run aground
*
When it’s calm
They do chores
And they dream of the day
When the ships on horizon
find fair weather days
Just outside of their bay
*
But till then they work hard
Different ports, different towns
And they work without sleeping
awaking as the ships bell resounds
*
They eat together in the galley
And together swab the deck
Sometimes they get ornery
The true life of a roughneck
*
But they are bound like brothers
Shed the same blood and sweat
And will defend one another
So, don’t you forget
*
If you’re messing with one
you will get the whole crew
Cause brothers are brothers
Whatever you do
*
While the ship is on the horizon
many things have to change
For the families left behind
Their whole world’s rearranged
*
Where once children would play
Hide and seek or some tag
Now they are responsible for cleaning
and boarding the nags
*
No school for a time
used to make a child laugh
Now they must carry water
and boil it for a bath
*
The women are tough
they can handle a lot
Shoe a horse, fix a barn door
and tie a nautical knot
*
She is good in the kitchen
she can hunt fish and fight
She can fight off any creature
with her gun late at night
*
She knew what she was in for
when she fell for that fella
And she’d do it again
cause he sings a mean acapella
*
And he captured her heart
like a pirate at sea
Promised visions of treasure
and man, could he sing
*
He sang songs of glory
songs of thrills and of love
He vowed he’d be true to her
swore on the powers above
*
And she surrendered her heart
gave her life to him gladly
And soon after: a son and
daughter for daddy
*
She would fight for this man
leave you broken and bruised
Till your begging for mercy
there’s no measure she won’t use
*
To protect her family
her babies, her man
No fiercer warrior
could you find in the land
*
Make no mistake,
she is still a lady
even with fire in her heart
she is delicate and lovely.
*
Her loyalty is strong,
and her will she relies on
Till she finally sets her eyes
on that ship in the horizon
*
Weeks have passed, days are long
still they persevere on
Getting ready to greet
this man they love, that’s been gone
*
There are easier lives
and they dream of the day
When they have all they need
And he won’t go away
*
On the ships that sail
far off on the horizons
Searching towns just like theirs
stealing its men for their shipmen
*
But for now, they prepare
making ready a feast
Keeping eye for his ship
sailing in from the East
*
Bringing gifts, maybe gold
and he will tell tales of their bounty
And the town will be filled
with everyone from the county
*
Celebrating as one
that the ships have returned
Till the last light is on
And every sailor sojourned
*
Then in peace they will sleep
dream of ships in the night
And the new day that’s coming
basking warm in the firelight
*
But for now, they are content
as a family once more
No searching for ships on the horizon
whilst alone on the shore
*
And they know they are lucky
and enjoy while they can
For this life is no life
for a fair-weather man
