Wednesday, August 26, 2015

The Barge



The steamer she is active, and she dares the briny sea,
She has power an’ assurance an’ is steady as can be.
An’ the sailing craft’s a hummer when the winds are blowin’ strong,
But the poor ol’ barge is helpless, an’ they hawser her along.

The little tug is crowded with no loafin’ room to spare,
A whitened bone she carries as she dashes here an’ there;
She is spunky an’ persistent, quite an independent thing,
But the barge is slow an’ helpless, an’ is fastened by a string.

O the clumsy barge is helpless she is helpless as a child
She is fettered by a hawser when the seas are runnin’ wild.
She is toted, shoved an’ halted at the will of coal an’ steam,
While she bears the heavy burdens up the winding, sluggish stream.

On the sea of life are barges bearin’ burdens every day;
Let us throw a line an’ help ‘em on their dark uncharted way.
O, the steamer she’s reliant, an’ the limber yacht can purr,
But the poor old barge is helpless so we must be kind to her.



Aug. 26, 1915

Hawser is a nautical term for a thick cable or rope used in mooring or towing a ship.


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