Crane Ride (another sip)
It was back in seventy nine
Me and a pal
he was a childhood friend of mine
got some good working jobs
down south in old man Benders ship yard
The hours were long the work was hard
we worked the grave yard
a sixteen hour gig,double shift
three in the afternoon ,t'll eight the next day
ya thats right ,all night
seven days a week
working on a shut down,oil drilling rig
building scaffolding,up and around
that old Mobile is a hard kind of town
The day crew clocked out,leaving the dust
to settle into the swelter
we strung out our lines,checked out our tools
the foreman always had to say"you are killing me boys"
he was just going to sleep any way
the sun settled down into evening
long slanting dust beams of shifting fiery light
slipping long and low
glinting off the railroad tracks
cutting shadows between the old tin work sheds
Mama was at home putting the boys to bed
I was strapping on my safety harness
dangers little kiss
the sun slips down below the line
for a minute we are bathed in red
we done this routine for two months
got two sundays home
June and July come and gone
August was coming on
the nights were hot ,steamy ,as only southern nights can be
old man Bender was tight , gave only enough lights to kinda see
the oil rig was moored down at the quay
in that deep black water
look down into that haunted canyon
between the dock and ship
if the tide was running strong ,you can't afford to slip
The whirl pools sing the growly drowning song
forty foot under ,pull you down hold you tight
most likely never found
pleasant place to hang around , in the middle of the night
My pal worked the lifting crane
old twenty ton hard track monster
I ride up the ship side in what they call the casket basket
wielding on scaffold brackets
building walkways ,forty feet high
single handing sixteen foot two by twelves,pine planks
the harness hooked to air,oh mother
sliding and bouncing them out, one bracket to another
you just got to be there
One night in August now,it seems like a dream some how
my old out law pal
snuck in a bottle of captain Morgan rum
we were just sipping,just a little on the run
I got an idea
I said "hay Clyde, how about a rocket ride"
he was laughing with his eyes
cause he knows me ,it's no surprise
another sip or two
"Look" I said " back this thing up into open yard three
it won't take long"
that yard was quiet no work going on
nobody payed no attention,they just let us be
"I 'll get in the basket ,strap my self in tight you lift me up real high
then spin this thing around,let her rip
let the cable out ,then I'll fly
what a trip,let's take another sip"
We took another sip
the night was clear the stars were bright
the sky barely dawn blue
he laughed and took another sip
we did what we had to do
got in the basket strapped in good ,cinched her up tight
took another sip,up I went as high as I could
eighty feet up ,the air was sweet and cool
Ooh what a view , dark night sky cascading light
then slowly ,around at first you know
around the world I began to spin
like super man, that last sip
then yet faster we go
he let her rip
slowly letting the cable out ,sixty feet about
I was a comet now laugh and shout
then the fun began,he worked the crane ,a real pro
that last sip don't you know
weaving up and around,swooping down
flying just above the ground
like a bomber run,what fun
then the sweetest reverse you ever saw
up away into the sky ,you can dream about that flight
yes I lived another day
to take another sip
and to tell ya'll bout that night
A mesmerizing tale of daring do ... written in a way of wisely won't ever do that again ( but, sure am glad I did ).
Captain Morgan himself would be proud of your crazy antics...not only that but the fact that you lived to tell of it. Your friend in words, Pete
What a terrific write! Ahhh... sweet memories.....Jerry (*_*)
this story was so interesting eveyday life when young
Ah, those daring days of our youth, as you recounted, when we worked and even that hard, long back breaking labor is remembered with some joy. I enjoyed this read...makes me remember some of my days of yore, too.
What a tale to tell and told so wonderfully well! I felt like I was right there through every moment of toil and grind working the graveyard shift ,through the danger of manouvering planks over the threatening inky maw of the sea between ship and quay, to the sheer giddy delight of casting everything aside and soaring like a rocket through the sky. A brilliant and thoroughly enjoyed poem leafsailor - one that can only be recommended. :) kath xxx
Clever work !!