A tugboat Christmas poem

Written by Clint Cartwright

A Greenville Resident and Master Pilot on the M/V.R.D. Quebodeaux

 

It’s the day before Christmas and all through the boat,

the whole crew is grouchy like some old goats,

we’re all really homesick with 3 weeks to go,

scooting up river but times dragging slow!

Orders have changed at least five times today,

of course dispatch don’t send them till it’s built and we’re underway.

That means more tow work and cold winter nights,

the deck crew is tired and there is no end in sight.

The cook has made manwich for the 3rd time this week,

the mate is mad at the pilot and they won’t even speak.

Family will call us tomorrow and try to cheer us all up,

but you could fit all of our cheer in a tiny tea cup.

We try to be happy but to no avail,

Christmas on a towboat is like Christmas in jail!

We may tie off tomorrow and have us some ham,

if the cells are free below Coffeville lock and their dam.

We’ll all be more happy when Christmas is done,

cause in a two and a half weeks we’ll see our loved ones!

So don’t judge all us towboaters for the lack of good cheer,

most of us just miss our families and wish we were not here!