Nightboat 

NIGHT BOAT
M.S. KING OF SCANDINAVIA

1.

This floating hotel
with garage parking
beneath the waterline
drifts above clouds

beneath us, deep
beneath us the wrecks
of centuries of travel
from North, sea and yet more weather

a Swedish clown
Philippine crew
Danish officers
a Bulgarian band

play bingo for the game
no way of hurrying
the production platforms
light up our path.

2.

Once the sea was
without form and void
in the night sky
only stars spoke

Now the ship quivers
the coastline's a clearance sale
the moon hides itself
in the waves.

3.

And at the bar
the soldier from
the royal marine corps
that was blameless
states
you'll never hurt us

don't believe him
throw glass of gin
enthralled down the hatch
listen to endless stories

from the Gulf War and Cambodia
to his family in Den Helder
for him Bosnia was
the survival of the fittest

4.

Break life into episodes
on the heaving of the boat
Brits are reeling, lowlanders lying
completely stoned we intone a song
on the poop deck sea gulls saunter.

© Bart FM Droog, 2000/2001
© translation John Irons, 2000
original title: Nachtboot, from Benzine, Passage Publishing Company, Groningen, 2000