Variations on a Theme

This plaque is on a stone at the Oamaru Look-out, which is the start of the walk round Cape Wanbrow. Bean and I were up there today to take the air. 

It is a strangely stilted poem, but I like the sentiment. It reads: 

To the Memory of
ALL SEAFARERS
PROFESSIONAL or RECREATIONAL
Who have sailed from the
PORT of OAMARU
And lost their lives at sea.
 
There are no roses on a sailors grave,
nor wreaths upon the storm-tossed waves.
Nor last post from Royals Band,
so far away from their native land.
No heart broken words carved in stone,
just shipmates there floating alone.
The only tributes are the seagull’s sweeps,
and the tear drops as a loved one weeps.

 

Interesting: no accreditation. So I looked it up and discovered six different versions of the same(ish) poem. 

The earliest I found is a German sailors' hymn by that famous poet Anon. Perhaps the translation from German explains the somewhat lumpy rhythm. 

More recent versions, with tiny changes in the wording have been claimed by actual people. It seems a bit disingenuous to replace the odd word here and there and then call it your own. 

The lichen is wonderful.