With a heavy heart covering the ground
My parents` sister with me
All saddened one could see
The William Ray Dutch liner
At the docks a sight no finer
The dock crowded with cargo and people
My blue sea chest with padlocks double
Time for me at last to board ship
Made my way up in an emotional grip
From the deck seeing my people
Father talking to Onn Jaafar a Johore noble
Ships` horn loud and clear
Motors thudding one could hear
Securing ropes cast away
With waving hands goodbye I say
The ship moves out
Gaining speed as it turns about
Soon blue waters all around
Nosing our way destination bound
My cabin for four
A Chinese priest, an Indonesian and a Sikh
In Sumatra brief call at Belawan Roads
More for cargo to load
On board much to explore
My cabin can`t ask for more
Tiered decks so many
For walking bright and sunny
The Dutch ship Rotterdam registered
Crews their tasks have mastered
Sumptuous meals smoothly served
Soft music high standards preserved
Colombo our first main stop
Passengers to explore allowed to drop
Mount Levenia Hotel by the sea
Peaceful calm much to see
Snake charmers magicians
Malay descent people musicians
Gems and semi-precious stones
People with visitors business prone
2
The Arabian Sea choppy windy
Passengers struggle to keep steady
With sea sickness many throw up
Crew with hoses ready to mop
A mixed group on board
Dutch expatriates Indonesians
The Dutch keeping to themselves
Rest of us mixing among ourselves
Things change after Suez Canal greatly
Europeans become suddenly friendly
Strange behavior puzzling
A colonial trait if anything
Naples our first European call
An old city with crumbling walls
People in drab clothes asking for money
Street vendors all kinds many
Gibraltar Rock with sharp slope
Africa almost touching Europe
A Spanish lady flamingo like embarks
All eyes on her no remarks
The Bay of Biscay choppy windy
Nothing for support handy
Making our way to Southampton
Good byes said by the ship`s captain
On the docks waiting my agent
Major Alexander Beatty a fine gent
My sea chest on the train loaded
As lost and found recorded
Keeping close to ones possessions
In our culture an obsession
Major Beatty knew well their system
Having faith in their honest customs
Driven to London with a break
At Aldershot for dinner tried to make
Major Beatty knew this base quite well
From people in uniforms one could tell
In the dusk one could see
Terrace houses like waves on the sea
Curtained windows yellow red light
In the cool evening a homely sight
Everything one sees orderly
Lighted streets to see clearly
Too cold to be out of doors
People mostly keeping indoors
From the outskirts of London
Made our way to Croydon
Mrs. Dunn my landlady
My room kept warm and ready
A butcher by trade was Mr Dunn
Helped by his son Fred Dunn
My blue steel trunk at last recovered
To Charring Cross station forwarded
In the mid-fifties after the world war
London the brunt of air raids bore
Here and there bombed out sites and rubble
The British going about life brave and humble
Red double-decker busses
So convenient to users
Black quaint taxis high roofed
Top hatted men could be comfortable and aloof
Everything smooth and orderly
Trains buses tubes running punctually
Shopkeepers bright and cheerful
Fixed prices no haggling helpful
A long way from home
Now for me to explore and roam
To keep to my given word
My goals working hard toward
M P Prabhakar
2.7.2015
PJ
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