The h2g2 Poem
Created | Updated Aug 6, 2003
To my friend in the shore party and all feeling vulnerable in the Antartic, especially the British Antartic Survey...
Poem for Kirsty Brown
29th July, 2003
The break of the Antarctic winter,
The first sunrise over Trident,
Glowing reds and yellows splinter,
Fragile ice's strength is spent.
Not knowing the grim future,
A small party settles down,
Whilst snorkelling in the water,
Deep, a predator circles round.
Powerful swimmer, crushing jaws,
The leopard seal attacks!
Stood aghast upon the shore,
There is little time to react.
A launch is sent to rescue
And the seal is driven away,
The body pulled out of the blue,
Futile attempts to resuscitate.
Dark now the huts of Rothera,
Mournful platitudes descend,
But nothing else can harm her,
She has reached her bitter end.
The troubled memories linger,
For a tight-knit company,
Because when you're in Antarctica,
You live like a family.
For Kirsty, to your family,
To Eric, John and friends,
You have my deepest sympathy,
Your memory never ends.
