Hardship…where the voyage began,
Hard times, hard to cope.
Then from a fallen, veteran, oak
The clouds gave way to hope.
We could have made a rocking horse,
Dining table, matching chairs.
We could have made a dolls house,
Furnished rooms up tiny stairs.
But we set off with a grander plan,
We let our dreams take flight,
Let’s build a mighty Viking ship,
Let’s launch towards the light!
Craftsmanship…we learned new skills,
Cutting through dark waves.
The smell of wood, a force for good,
So troubled lives were saved.
We could have made a garden bench,
Beside a potting shed.
But we built a noble Skuldelev,
Complete with Wyvern’s head.
A jigsaw put the pieces back,
With love, we smoothed the grain.
As weeks and months, then years passed by,
We slowly soothed the pain.
Friendship…formed along the way.
The art of joinery.
Dovetails fitting perfectly,
We made them – joyfully.
It could have been a wine-rack,
Or rows of kitchen shelves.
We could have made a bird box,
Yet we soared above ourselves.
We might have flown too high, my friends,
We could have tried and failed.
But we built a ship, called Stormbird,
We didn’t sink – we sailed!
(Over the past few years, I’ve been writing about a wonderful bunch of people – mostly former veterans – who have formed a charity based on working with wood to support mental health.
They set out to build a lifesized Viking ship in a little workshop in Darlington, building friendships along the way. I know that lives that might have been lost have been saved along the way because of the support and camaraderie that has been created.
It’s a story that I’ve loved writing in instalments and this poem is aimed at capturing the spirit of The Viking Boat Company: the hardship, the craftsmanship and the friendship brought together in the building of…a ship.
The ship has been named Stormbird and her maiden voyage is approaching. I’ll be there to see her sail!)