The Canal Boat

Bump! Bang! The boat rumbles beneath my feet,
Crashing against the hard canal bank,
“Permanent damage?” I ask, “will it sink?”
Vibrating passengers sneer from their seats.
At this point, a sharp turn seems discreet.
Bump! Bang! Now, we hit the opposite bank,
Like a convulsing fish in a small tank,
My wide swiveling folly seems complete.

How smooth and lovely can be Old England
When you use short, frequent changes in course,
Tempering each move with opposite force,
Thus, life’s narrow path molds an alert hand.

Through the long, dark tunnel I guide the boat,
At an hour’s bright end we softly float.