Sailors Greetings! Happy Holidays

By Dean Maitland

Welcoming guests to our home is always a pleasure
though you’ll soon discover we cherish our leisure.
The facilities might not please you at all
and the grass really isn’t always this tall.
The toilet needs fixing, but that’s not a rush.
Please hold down the handle whenever you flush.
Dripping faucets will be fixed, so please do not worry.
That’s a project for winter; there’s really no hurry.

The morning paper is found amidst the wet clover.
That’s where it’s delivered since the box fell over.
The porch window’s out, and the rugs need a cleaning.
The tub won’t hold water, the screens are not screening.
There are leaves in the gutters; the windows aren’t clean,
But time hasn’t permitted, if you know what I mean.

We don’t want to offend; it’s the way things go.
We love the water; we’re sailors you know.
The boat’s looking pretty, and you’ll love the new rails.
We’d have fixed the house roof, but we bought the new sails.
With new paint for the hull and the hardware on board,
we realized too late that we couldn’t afford
all the modern joys of day-to-day living;
but sailors we are, to the boat we keep giving.

Okay, I’ll admit, it’s not really “we“,
She loves the land, and I love the sea.
We’ll soon work it out, and the fence will get nailed,
the lawn will get cut, just as soon as I’ve sailed.
I’m so glad you’re here’ it’s simple to see
your presence alone, takes the heat off of me.
I’m ready to sail just as soon as you are.
No need to hurry. I’ll wait in the car.