Hope over reality
Fifteen months of excited planning
Of anticipation, deferred gratification,
Months of preparation for a seven week cruise
Choosing our excursions in each port of call.
Places we'd dreamed of, never thought we'd see
Ancient sites: Petra, Karnak, Athens, Rome,
Temples, palaces, forts, landscapes, wildlife;
So lucky to have them at last within grasp.
In the final few weeks, a new anxiety rising
A virus appearing in a remote Chinese province,
Spreading to Singapore, our first destination,
Jumping to Italy, and even our home.
Not bad enough to cancel our plans
(Without losing our money), we told ourselves
We'd maybe miss one or two ports of call,
It'd be very unlucky if it spoilt all our fun.
But it grew, spreading from person to person
From place to place, like a modern plague.
Countries in lockdown, refusing all entry,
Two quarantined cruise liners the new objects of fear.
Refused entry to Penang, we consoled ourselves
With the promise of an extra day in Phuket - which trip to chose?
No need to complain, this might be a blessing in disguise
We should always make the best of a bad situation.
But all the time the fear, like the virus, was spreading
Country after country closing their borders to strangers.
We never made landfall; moored offshore for a week
While a way was found to return us to our homes.
Split along national lines, Europeans transferred
To a sister ship, returning to England -
We'd sail the same route, without touching land.
Thirty days onboard ship, albeit in style.
© Copyright 2020. Chris Auger. All Rights Reserved
Of anticipation, deferred gratification,
Months of preparation for a seven week cruise
Choosing our excursions in each port of call.
Places we'd dreamed of, never thought we'd see
Ancient sites: Petra, Karnak, Athens, Rome,
Temples, palaces, forts, landscapes, wildlife;
So lucky to have them at last within grasp.
In the final few weeks, a new anxiety rising
A virus appearing in a remote Chinese province,
Spreading to Singapore, our first destination,
Jumping to Italy, and even our home.
Not bad enough to cancel our plans
(Without losing our money), we told ourselves
We'd maybe miss one or two ports of call,
It'd be very unlucky if it spoilt all our fun.
But it grew, spreading from person to person
From place to place, like a modern plague.
Countries in lockdown, refusing all entry,
Two quarantined cruise liners the new objects of fear.
Refused entry to Penang, we consoled ourselves
With the promise of an extra day in Phuket - which trip to chose?
No need to complain, this might be a blessing in disguise
We should always make the best of a bad situation.
But all the time the fear, like the virus, was spreading
Country after country closing their borders to strangers.
We never made landfall; moored offshore for a week
While a way was found to return us to our homes.
Split along national lines, Europeans transferred
To a sister ship, returning to England -
We'd sail the same route, without touching land.
Thirty days onboard ship, albeit in style.
© Copyright 2020. Chris Auger. All Rights Reserved
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