I was a sailor
Merchant Marine The Great Lakes
Wm McGonagle.

At first sail 'Wiper'
doing Engine Room 'scut' jobs
double-shift same day.

I made lots of cash
from United States Steel
paying off school loans.

1st Engineer's hate
was directed towards me
I was a 'hippie'.

My hair curly-long
was not his standard crewcut
he wanted me dead.

Making '5,000'
union in 60 long days
I was a 'Laker'.

Hatred abated
passed 'Ordinary Seaman'
was beyond reproof.

On 'Gitchegumee'
hatches open for loading
a super storm came.

We needed them closed
all hands were on deck to do
to make port Duluth.

Winches and cables
without using safe harness
death imminent.

Looking up southward
during strenuous labor
boat on horizon.

Later I learned that
The Edmund S. Fitzgerald
went down all men lost.

I saw its demise
waterspout hit amid boat
full 1/3 its width.

The boat: Fitzgerald
80,000 tons of ore
taconite iron.

29 men lost
on the U.S.S. Flagship
on that fateful day.

Being the only
witness to it's destruction
no one believed me.

Oh well, I know that
I was of sound mind/body
but that's long ago...

'They' all speculate
when this mighty 'oiler' died
my story untold.

Making the breakwall
into Duluth Harbor safe
we celebrated.

The 'boneyard' our gift
to take some brass souvenirs
I still have today.

Off of the old boats
decomissioned from service
wingnut and oilcup.