Flying Dutchman

Old lady with a barrow; life near ending

Standing by the harbour wall; warm wishes sending

children on the cold sea swell

not fishers of men

gone to chase away the last herring:

come empty home again.

So come all you lovers of the good life

on your supermarket run

Set a sail of your own devising

and be there when the Dutchman comes.

Wee girl in a straw hat: from far east warring

Sad cargo of an old ship: young bodies whoring

Slow ocean hobo ports closed to her crew

No hope of immigration keep on passing through.

So come all you lovers of the good life

your children playing in the sun

set a sympathetic flag a-flying

and be there when the Dutchman comes.

Death grinning like a scarecrow Flying Dutchman

Seagull pilots flown from nowhere try and touch one

as she slips in on the full tide

and the harbour-master yells

All hands vanished with the captain

no one left, the tale to tell.

So come all you lovers of the good life

Look around you, can you see?

Staring ghostly in the mirror

it's the Dutchman you will be

floating slowly out to sea

in a misty misery.