<i>East Coast Patrols of the War, 1914-18</i> <br /> <br /> <br />In Lowestoft a boat was laid, <br />Mark well what I do say! <br />And she was built for the herring-trade, <br />But she has gone a-rovin', a-rovin', a-rovin', <br />The Lord knows where! <br /> <br />They gave her Government coal to burn, <br />And a Q.F. gun at bow and stern, <br />And sent her out a-rovin', etc. <br /> <br />Her skipper was mate of a bucko ship <br />Which always killed one man per trip, <br />So he is used to rovin', etc. <br /> <br />Her mate was skipper of a chapel in Wales, <br />And so he fights in topper and tails-- <br />Religi-ous tho' rovin', etc. <br /> <br />Her engineer is fifty-eight,' <br />So he's prepared to meet his fate, <br />Which ain't unlikely rovin', etc. <br /> <br />Her leading-stoker's seventeen, <br />So he don't know what the Judgments mean, <br />Unless he cops 'em rovin', etc. <br /> <br />Her cook was chef in the Lost Dogs' Home, <br />Mark well what I do say! <br />And I'm sorry for Fritz when they all come <br />A-rovin', a-rovin', a-roarin' and a-rovin', <br />Round the North Sea rovin', <br />The Lord knows where!<br /><br />Rudyard Kipling<br /><br />http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/the-lowestoft-boat/
