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My window looks out on the shipyard
And beyond that the great blue sea
They're building a ship there
I always imagine it’s for me
I always imagine it’s for me
I watch the men building the hull
In their helmets and boots
Using gas to melt steel
And other dangerous pursuits
Someday it will sail the world
And I'll be on board
From Auckland to Zanzibar
No corner unexplored
From out of my window
I see the ships come and go
And all manner of people
On the docks down below
It's there that I saw you
And your wild Italian eyes
That rivaled the vessels
Against the September skies
In them I saw another world
Like William Blake's sand
So I put on my coat
And went down to the strand
Shipwrights were fashioning the bow
And assembling the stern
You were trying on a hat
When my life took a turn
When my life took a turn
Days turn into years
And years turn to hours
As the final breath nears
They're building another ship
But you're no longer here
I watch from my room
As the days disappear
As the days disappear
There were days of slack tide
And days of rough storm
There were periods of freezing
And periods of warm
I'm thinking of you
As they hoist up the sails
Forecastle, mizzen, and main
Like melancholy veils
A woman's breaking champagne
Across the bow's frame
And as the ship launches
On its stern is my name
On its stern is my name
As I watch the ship sail
I'm still thinking of you
I was meant to be on it
But I still have a beautiful view
I still have a beautiful view
Robert Morris Black © All rights reserved.