I wrote this poem during a cruise of the Caribbean I took with my sisters somewhat reluctantly. Then I met Luzvy, our server for dinner in the main dining room, and she made the trip memorable. Here is a slightly fictionalized account inspired by Luzvy.
Cruise Story
So your sister booked a cruise somewhere
and asks if you can come.
You decide the time is right to flee
the pandemonium.
It's the prospect of the sunshine, and
the time for relaxation
In the spa for a massage and then
a face exfoliation,
Plus, the thought that maybe also there's
a lady in a thong
Who is cruising with the notion that
a guy might come along
Who appreciates a woman for
her mind, not how she's dressed,
And a lonely engineer might be
whom piques her interest.
Then you find the average passenger
is older than your mother,
And you're stuck aboard this old-age home
for days piled on each other.
There is just the lovely Lusvy, who
is serving you your meals,
Who becomes your nightly refuge from
the daily ship's ordeals.
You endure the endless bingo, and
the blinding tropic light,
Just to bask in her attentions for
an hour every night.
She is friendly, she is funny, and
she has the cutest smile.
So you start to feel like jogging, maybe
swimming, for awhile.
For you have to look your best when you
appear to her at eight,
And you even rent a tux like you
are going on a date.
But the lovely Lusvy mentions that
her boyfriend back on land
Has a plan for them to marry and
has asked her for her hand.
You can see that she is happy, and
you wish for her the best,
So you hide your disappointment, but
you cannot be depressed.
You will always treasure later,
when you feel the ocean breeze,
Every mem'ry formed on board the
Navigator of the Seas.
John M. Campbell
3/8/2014
Click here for my previous poem, A Man Who Loves His Hardware