Old Navy

[good4somethingbum]

Old NavyDave came in from the dampness, that blankets Frisco in late FallHe huddled by the fountain, near a big store in the mallA T-Ball mom and her son, tossed in a dirty dimeDave watched it find the bottom, and his dreams swam back in timeStarted mumblin’ the name “Boyd”, and guards thought he was crazySo they ran that old timer, away from the Old NavySo he headed for the shipyard, and shuffled along the docksOnce more he was a sailor, feedin’ gulls on second watchThe kid who should’ve relieved him, fell below deck and got hurtSo Dave and Seaman Boyd, flipped a dime for who got thirdDave won the toss and planned on, sleepin’ long and lazyNow here he was haunting some old pier, cos he was old NavyHe‘d heard how that first shell, exploded near Seaman BoydTheir vessel tipped and tumbled, to the bottom like a coinAs the ocean sealed itself, Dave had watched it from a raftGulls pecking at the vermin, on driftwood floating pastNow Dave saluted the North Star, though that pier was hazyHe knew where his bow was headed, cos he was old NavyWell, that old night watchman, shoulda been sleepin’ tightBut he flipped a coin with Murphy, over who worked Friday nightsHe’d spent ten years at sea, and liked to work the waterfrontHe knew lotsa homeless sailors, used the docks to bunkAt first he thought Dave was sleepin’, cos the pier was dark and hazyWhen he saw gulls on Dave’s peacoat, he closed the eyes of old Navy©2007 Robert George