The Boat © Tony Fallon 040218

The Boat © Tony Fallon 040218

The boat lay on its side within amongst the reeds

It had lain there many years in the bottom there were weeds

They said one time it had a fine big sail made of nylon

And it was the property of the old man named Long John

They said he never used it since the day he lost his leg

And they called him Long John because of the wooden peg

His real name was Clampett and he was true and gallant

He was great to have around that man had ample talent

They said he was half English and from Bristol he came

Mary Murphy was his mother so he had a different name

When he was in his prime on two things he would dote

Jane his “little woman” and his ould second hand boat

He was always fixing things in the house and on the water

And he painted Elizabeth on the boat after their daughter

But she grew up too quickly and followed her grandmother

So now Jane and John had only the boat and each other

They’d cross the lake on Sunday and on the bank unwind

And talk about the fancy places in Bristol where they’d dined

John lost his leg and his little woman one terrible July

He was inconsolable for Jane most neighbors thought he’d die

After months of mourning there was easing of the pain

Then he pulled the boat out and on the other side wrote Jane

The neighbors watched him silently and many hearts did break

As he kissed their boat goodbye and pushed it out into the lake