U32

by markwells - Scorpio

U32

Shaken from cramped slumber with a sudden nudge,
Elbow in the back, time now to budge.
In the ocean's foamy fusion, depth charges fell,
Like silent stinging fish mixed with the sub's warning bell.
Then the muffled roar, the juddering shake,
The whole body in an epileptic quake.
Heat and sweat tickled my spine,
Propellers genuflecting with a throbbing whine.
The Destroyer passed, one pattern laid
The entire crew gripped hard and prayed.
Slowly the craft with scars of war,
 Lowered further into the depths once more.
The hull groaned, the pressure intensified,
Invisible fingers squeezed from the turbulence outside.
A cup clattered to the metal floor,
The Destroyer must have ears it stalked once more.
We jettisoned oil, wooden crates and files,
Man made flotsam spreading for miles.
With our engines stopped the Destroyer took the bait,
Their Captain certain of our cocoon-like fate.
The smell of terror, the taste of tension,
Filled our senses in our leaking dimension.
As we limped away our hearts beating fast,
The ocean's undercurrent released and cast.
Muffled orders straining through tubes of command,
The Captain's voice mixing panic and calm.
Cautiously rising, the periscope peering
The Destroyer visible...distant...steering...
Sighs of relief when news is passed
Surface, open hatch safe at last!
Our united team spirit bonding us strong
Safety reached, but for how long?
The sun shone down, the wind like razor wire,
Black clouds that were not, spiralled in towers.
With knots at max, the tormentor returned,
Large guns that fired demons that burned.
I stood and watched as we had no shade,
Our ends were certain U32 was now laid.
The glass-like sea, our reflections eternal,
 Captain's silent orders scrawled on effervescent walls.




 



 





Birth sign: Scorpio
Date created: 2002-08-06 06:33:50
Last updated: 2021-03-03 14:46:32
Poem ID: 69792

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