The French & Indian Oar Poem by Robert Sheridan

A wooden instrument used
for water-borne propulsion
French & Indian oarsmen
each grabbed paddles – one
team in the bow, the other
in the stern – paddled in
opposite directions...
The blades of the oars
kept painting the water’s
surface – plenty of thrust
but the canoe just sat in
the same position – then
one team, the French, or
maybe it was the Indians
decided to ‘Tip-the-canoe’
near the falls, and both sides
went over, except for one,
who wore a lifejacket – now
that was 'scull'-duggery!

‘2008’