His hands shook

His face contorted 

He fought with 

His stomach

Every morning

Slipped whiskey

In the coffee

At breakfast

Thought no one

Noticed.

 

His breath stunk

His skin was

pallid

He hadn’t washed

His eyes 

Were like

Dark

Stained glass

Portholes 

As he peered 

Out his blurry

Life at the

World.

 

3rd Engineer

Nicky.

My friend

I covered for you 

when you couldn’t

Arrive on the 

World

I laughed at your

Drunken antics

I carried you

Home

Up the gangway

 

I put you to bed

With a bottle

For the shakey

Hours.

Hid your lighter

So we wouldn’t

Burn to death

I held you

When you cried

As reality 

Appeared

Lost women

Lost dignity

Lost health

loss loss loss

 

When you died

Liverless

I cried

For myself

For every rotten

Glass

I’d shared

With you. 

Every time I’d sat 

Across a bar

and heard you say

Tomorrow

I’ll stop.