Abschied Poem by Herbert Nehrlich

And you just stood there, with your silly grin,
you didn't know about the proper way
to handle this goodbye, there couldn't be
long faces or those saltfilled, pesky tears,
though people knew there was a real crisis.

It was the land of milk and honey now for me
while you, my buddy from the happy days
when little hands would try to leave the crib,
and, giving up, would give a clumsy wave,
you'd stay behind, my friend, with all your books.

They hadn't wanted us, such foolishness,
as if our willingness were all we really had,
they were polite, of course, part of the job,
and then, as if to rub it in they took us down
through tight security and sterile grass green walls,
we never turned again to read the blasted sign
they'd lost two willing warriors, all set for the Cold War.

The train to Rotterdam, it sounded so supreme,
I never slept a wink until the ship had welcomed me,
it was the Captain who, all starched including beard,
who said the words that I shall never ever lose.
'Velgomm to SS Staatendam, I am ze vassel's cap'n',
it was a brave beginning of a long revolving dream