ENGLISH BAY by WILSON PUGSLEY MACDONALD

I WANT to go to English Bay and see the old tugs towing:
The black tugs, the strong tugs, the tugs of sturdy soul --
The pigmy craft that draw the large
Obedient boom and docile barge,
With pride of their important charge in every movement showing.

It's, O, to be on English Bay,
By the high tide or the low tide,
With a singing, swinging west wind blowing;
With a day of sea-delight
And a hundred hills in sight
With their summits wild and white in the rich air glowing.

I want to go to English Bay and hear her friendly voices:
The chug-chug, the sea-laugh, the wind against the bows;
To hear the humble craft salute
The sea-patricians on their route,
And watch the gulls dive low and loot until my heart rejoices.

It's, O, to be on English Bay,
By the high tide or the low tide,
With a singing, swinging west wind blowing;
With the sea-lure in my soul
Of the lusty waves that roll
On their tearing, biting goal where the rocks are showing.

Some day I'll go to English Bay and wrap again about me
Her wild winds, her wet winds, her winds of sudden whim.
And then, perchance, at close of day
A maiden whom I love will say
How very lonely English Bay has been for years without me.

It's O, to be on English Bay,
By the high tide or the low tide,
With a singing, swinging west wind blowing;
With a day of sea-delight,
And a maiden's lips at night
And her circling arms of white, till the dawn comes glowing.

Classic and Contemporary Poetry

Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!

Other Poems of Interest...