My Ships

Ella Wheeler Wilcox

If all the ships I have at sea—

Should come a-sailing home to me,

Ah well! the harbor could not hold

So many ships as there would be,

If all my ships came home to me.

If half my ships now out at sea

Should come a-sailing home to me,

Ah well! I should have wealth as great

As any king that sits in state,

So rich the treasure there would be

In half my ships now out at sea.

If but one ship I have at sea

Should come a-sailing home to me,

Ah well! the storm clouds then might frown,

For if the others all went down,

Still rich and glad and proud I'd be,

If that one ship came home to me.

If that one ship went down at sea,

And all the others came to me,

Weighed down with gems and wealth untold,

Of riches, glory, honor, gold,

The poorest soul on earth I'd be,

If that one ship came not to me.

Oh, skies, be calm, oh, winds, blow free!

Blow all my ships safe home to me!

But if thou sendest some awrack,

To never more come sailing back,

Send any—all that skim the sea,

But send my love ship back to me.