docks built by Dutch traders
old Schermerhorn Row moving
indigo spices the spectrum of teas
pearls and porcelain finding
exchange among English goods
drawn to the busiest port in
the colonies fortunes amassed
in conversion of cargoes to
specie and gold futures won
just as easily lost on the turn of
one voyage that fickle Atlantic
whose now and then baleful
eyes poured out most punishing
weather this maritime rowdy
casino of commerce dealt hands
steep with risk and reward
its deep pilings supporting a
capital system that grew up
to skyscrape the lofty ambitions
of liberty’s greatest experiment
Were the late Jacque Brel born on your continent I do believe he would never again put his pen to paper and compose. Wonderful piece full of salty atmosphere
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my old office used to look directly down upon the seaport from 40 floors up
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You have no vertigo problems then!
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funny you should say that – because I do – looking out was not a problem but looking directly down was frightful
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Brave man – my first office was overlooking Piccadilly Circus and the balcony (also covered in pigeon shit by the way) was enough for me!
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Lovely piece of history in great verse
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thanks kindly
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non c’è di che!
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I love the historical tidbits throughout this piece.
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much to learn from history
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I just had a thought: you could teach History via Poetry to students who may learn it better through the art and language familiar to them.
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there’s an idea – long as I don’t have to grade papers
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You could get some flunky TA to do that.
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Gotta say I love the “indigo spices”.
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a thought borrowed from someone I know
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Ha ha!
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Seaworthy . . .
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Reblogged this on Poesy plus Polemics.
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