Two Ships

On Friday 1st October we were treated to an original 'take' on the tale of Lord John Franklin.
A relatively new participant, Jane Wickenden, performed her own composition.
Jane kindly wrote out a transcription for me, and has given permission for it to be published here ...

Two Ships
Jane Wickenden

The Terror and the Erebus,
Under ice they lie,
Lost in the northern waters,
And frozen to the sky.

Anchored to the icebergs,
Their spars on the deep sea bed,
Crewed by seals and polar bears,
While stars roll overhead.

Sunk by their lead-lined coffins,
John Franklin’s men lie deep.
Until the sea gives up its dead,
They sleep as the living sleep.

But Franklin’s men will rise again
And set hand to the oar,
Bound for the port of Paradise,
And coming back no more.

In giving permission, Jane offered the following explanatory notes ...

"I wrote the original version of this in the late 80s after seeing a programme on BBC2 about Sir John Franklin who, with over 60 of the crew of HMSs Erebus & Terror, died in the mid-19th century (of scurvy/starvation/cold/lead-poisoning from faulty tinned food) while searching for the North West Passage. I recently decided it might be worth singing and re-wrote it - the tune is what I know as Dives and Lazarus (Star of County Down / Van Diemen's Land)."

Well done, Jane!