He had a forgettable face, the man at the holiday desk,
handing out brochures: save up to 75 percent on
last minute cruising bargains
Satisfaction Guaranteed!
Glossy posters offered: mystery destinations, ports incognito,
we’ll carry you in luxury the jingle sang
and in the fine print small cabins, no portholes, cryogenics optional
No passports required – We look after all the visas!
All dietary restrictions catered for –.
extra heating available for passengers who prefer a
bodiless trip
I shook my head in no-thanks, turning to hand the brochure back:
All dissolved, faceless man, music and marketing stand:
colour posters replaced with dripping grey
grit underfoot, a patchy gangway, wind and flapping
white blanks peering from the deck
the ship in silent motion, hovering above a greasy sea.
No band, no tickertape, no farewells
Not quite the short break I'd planned.
7 comments:
It might have been, of course - but that's life, you'll never know. (Unless the ship sinks, THEN you'll know!)
'cryogenics optional' - priceless!
Ooh, this is fantastic. Great write.
Always read the fine print, eh?
Clever! If something sounds too good to be true, it probably IS!
Ah tossed about on the stormy sea of life yet again ; )
it is great to shake your head at times,
powerful and confident story.
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