One Small Boat SAM

Marilisa Valtazanou

One small boat

Copyright ©2006 Marilisa Valtazanou
All Rights Reserved - Used by permission

All the girls in the village are talking of Helen:
They’re curling their hair and they’re painting their lips,
They’re wearing tight shoes and they’re going through hell –and
It’s all for the glory of one thousand ships.

You turn and you ask me “Don’t you want that glory?
A fleet of young sailors, all weathered and rough?”
I say “Not for me –I prefer my own story
And for me one small boat is enough.”

They’ve envied, they’ve gossiped, they’ve sighed and they’ve wondered,
They’ve giggled, they’ve cursed and they’ve sneered and they’ve huffed.
Do they need a million, a thousand, a hundred?
For me, one small boat is enough.

The sailors in town are all talking of Helen:
They search for the girl who resembles her best.
They each hope to find an impeccable belle in
The most finely combed, the most prettily dressed.

I turn and I ask you “Should I try to follow?
Should I paint my nails and bring out my best coat?”
You say “My beloved, those women are hollow.
I’ll stay with the girl who can love my small boat.”

They’ve envied, they’ve gossiped, they’ve sighed and they’ve wondered,
They’ve giggled, they’ve cursed and they’ve sneered and they’ve huffed.
Do they need a million, a thousand, a hundred?
For me, one small boat is enough.

The men wanted Helens, the girls wanted glory;
They’re all disappointed with what they have seen.
The sailors return knowing war’s bitter story;
The girls all now envy this month’s beauty queen.

A thousand are fickle where one can be faithful,
And Helen’s appeals now appear quite remote.
I sit on the shore, and each day I am grateful
For the man by my side and our one tiny boat.

They’ve envied, they’ve gossiped, they’ve sighed and they’ve wondered,
They’ve giggled, they’ve cursed and they’ve sneered and they’ve huffed.
Do they need a million, a thousand, a hundred?
For me, one small boat is enough.

I’ve loved you, believed in you, cherished you, wondered
Each day at your loyalty: you are my love.
I don’t need a million, a thousand, a hundred.
For me, one small boat is enough.