Ships that meet in daylight

This painting by Philip Ouless was the inspiration for my Saturday poem.

Ships that meet in daylight

On tempestuous waves, so tossed about,
The passengers began to doubt,
Whether they would survive or not,
Or doom come like the casting lot;
And as the ship began to founder,
The waves crashing all around her,
Some fell to knees, in troubled prayer;
The gales blew with icy air,
And then another ship was seen;
A child sang, God save the Queen,
And a woman wept, in quiet relief,
Of no more mourning, no more grief;
A line was thrown, ropes made firm,
To catch the ship listing, so infirm,
Amidst the waves of white flecked foam;
And slowly tugged, the ship came home,
Past rocky headland, steered around,
And into harbour, and safe and sound,
Tied up and made good by the pier,
And all rejoiced, and gave good cheer!