1.
The Coming of Tiata
Of all Pumkin's dreams
And the wildest schemes
Through his colourful history
From his missspent youth
Until this moment of truth
Was his quest to ply the sea.
While on the trail
Of this Holy Grail
He happened to question me
And then ventured South
With his heart in his mouth
In search of his fantasy.
It was a lonely shack
By a railroad track
That we made the discovery
By the strident sound
Of the Reebock hound
That had kept her company.
The Coming of Tiata
Of all Pumkin's dreams
And the wildest schemes
Through his colourful history
From his missspent youth
Until this moment of truth
Was his quest to ply the sea.
While on the trail
Of this Holy Grail
He happened to question me
And then ventured South
With his heart in his mouth
In search of his fantasy.
It was a lonely shack
By a railroad track
That we made the discovery
By the strident sound
Of the Reebock hound
That had kept her company.
She had languished there
In mild despair
For what had seemed an eternity
When from the car that had stopped
Two wood ducks hopped
And quacked excitedly.
On that sunny morn
Was Tiata born
To face her new destiny
For those ducks brought back
The two ravens black
And their team of artistry.
Her lonely plight
Was soon put right
And she glowed contentedly
Cause she'd missed the words
Of those quaint black birds
That heckled incessantly.
Her lines were refined
Well, they had been designed
By the one she called father Ray
And the other half
The one who made her laugh
He fashioned her faithfully.
For months they worked
And no aspect was shirked
As she grew in expectancy.
When the wind blew West
Tiata liked it the best
For the smell of the salty sea.
Now every girl
Likes a shiny pearl
To flatter her shamelessly
But it was that Baker boy
With his Harley toy
Who strung hers so fashionably.
Although she looked coy
Was it the young girl's one ploy
Just to sit there coquettishly
Cause she seemed not abashed
By the boys that harassed
And their playful ribaldry.
As the work neared its end
Captain Pumpkin called again
Nigh his fiftieth anniversary
And she listened enthralled
To the yarns of his world
That he told were her legacy.
4.
By the time of her launch
Tiata's resolve had grown staunch
For no project, could more daunting be
And while she lay perched
the mighty cranes lurched
As they swung her towards the sea.
At last out of reach
Of the mud and the beach
She quivered exultantly
As the shackles released
And with her future bequeathed
She cherished that prophecy.
Though once she set sail
The tough boys turned pale
For she parted emotionally
And she could not disguise
The last tear in her eye
As she left her old nursery.
But when out of sight
The future looked bright
Although etched in her memory
Was the craftsmen's caress
Their tender finesse
And a dog that howled mournfully.
Now the crew raised a toast
As she left the East Coast
And bound for the Coral Sea
As the ocean advanced
Tiata now danced
For she was proud of her pedigree.
The Captain, aloof
At her helm, stood as proof
Of what had become a reality
And he swore, 'There's no match
For this new pumpkin patch
In all of the seven seas.'
As North her bows ploughed
The wild winds howled
And grew in intensity
Although she now rolled
It was a manner controlled
And she weathered it gracefully.
But now her intent
Was the greeting well meant
That waited across the sea
As the morning light dawned
On the horizon, adorned
Steamed Telita and her new family.
She felt her heart throb
When she saw uncle Bob
Who beckoned theatrically
Then she spied through the gleam
Her aunt Dinah beam
And welcome her joyfully.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
This story has been about
My first hand account
As she grew to maturity
But sadly, I left
At this point, quite bereft
And returned to obscurity.
So what! might you ask?
Was my small task
Through all this activity
Well, I just held her hand
As she sat on that stand
And waited impatiently.
Now that might not seem much
But it served as a crutch
To break the monotony
And the little dolphin cow
Astride Tiata's prow
By this, she'll remember me.
And although she now plies
Those far off isles
Of Papua and New Guinea
Her fame will soon spread
As new tales are read
And her exploits become...Legendary!
Rodd Sherwin ©
