by Julia Griffin

“Photographs of a Turkish scrap yard shows once glamorous cruise vessels being torn apart,
their component parts harvested for reuse, recycling or disposal after being retired early due to
the pandemic.”
—CNN

Gilt princesses of the sea,
Lately gowned in luxury,
Dandled in the ocean’s lap,
Find themselves now ripped for scrap.
Grace and elegance afloat
Black tie, dance floor, tables d’hôtes,
Sprawl before the common crowd,
Crumpled, cruddy, and unbowed.
What’s become of all the pride
Lighting once the starboard side?
Beauties lustrously bedecked
Are retired, disposed of, wrecked.
Pampered guests no longer care.
For these dead boats, sigh a prayer.