A Christmas Poem from Kevin Pyne

At around about ten

On Christmas morning

(Subject to weather

Conditions) we ether row

Up river or put out to sea

For a pilot gig chritsmas

Row as a family

 

The men take the seats

In the middle when we

Have put the boat afloat

While Christiana

A rower from eleven

Years old stokes the boat

 

Her mother is at five

My daughter at one

And with a total age of

Two hundred and fifty

Bow to stern

Soon the row is begun

 

And it wouldn’t be

Chritmas if at the start

Of the day

We didn’t row out together

In what is for us now

A traditional family way

 

And as for me

I steer the boat

And make sure that

To much alcohol does

Heed their safety when

They are out afloat

 

Mulled wine is a favourite

As is Champagne

As we hove to by old

Shipyard or in one of

The coves or creeks

Before setting

Off at speed once again

 

So what if we are not

A top club

Nor are we in anyway

The worst

With the biggest race

Ever being to see who

Can make it into the

A warm crimbo shower

After our row in fact “first”

 

Kevin Pyne

 

Photo courtesy of Michael Leviseur from Gloucester Rowing Club in Massachusetts, USA