Poem by Cicely Fox Smith

So Long (All Coiled Down)

All coiled down, an' it's time for us to go;
Every sail's furled in a neat harbour stow;
Another ship for me, an' for her another crew —
An' so long, sailorman — good luck to you!

Fun an' friends I wish you till the pay's all gone —
Pleasure when you spend it an' content when it's done —
An' a chest that's not empty when you go back to sea,
An' a better ship than she's been — an' a truer pal than me.

A good berth I wish you, in a ship that's well found,
With a decent crowd forrard, an' her gear all sound,
Spars a man can trust to when it's comin' on to blow,
An' no bosun bawlin' when it's your watch below.

A good Trade I wish you, an' a fair landfall,
Neither fog, nor iceberg, nor long calm, nor squall,
A pleasant port to come to, when the work's all through —
An' so long, sailorman … good luck to you.

1. The Fight on the Island
2. Ghosts in Deptford
3. A Port Forsaken
4. The Old Love and the New
5. A Dog's Life

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