THE SNIPE
Anonymous
Evidence points to the unknown author being the Mess Deck MAA on the CGC Barataria or one of her sister ships…
From a shallow
hole in the after deck
comes a smell
that's thick an ripe,
Of grease and
sweat and unwashed neck
the creature
known as the SNIPE.
He lives below
in his stagnant cave
far from the
light of day,
Far from the
smell of wind and wave
in slime and
slow decay.
But deck hands
say when the light is draped
in the black
you may hear him prowl,
As he comes
topside like a ghost escaped
the paintwork
to befoul.
He scratched
his back on the paintwork
leaving a
greasy smear,
And his smell
goes out on the midnight air
polluting the
atmosphere.
He smirches
the deck with his greasy track
and smudges
the stanchions too,
And he leaves
a trail of gooey black
to be cleaned
by the topside crew.
Now this is
the reason that all men know
who follow the
bos'n pipe,
That the
vilest of beast lives down below
and is
affectionately called "THE SNIPE".
Submitted by Billy Piner, CWO4, USCG Retired