The day I saw the Admiral

For the first and final time,

My mouth fell wide open,

And my eyes blinked with surprise!

He looked not like the gallant

‘Hero of the Nile’

That so oft’ I had imagined,

But like a normal sort-of fellow,

With messy hair

And an enchanting, gentle smile.

His right, empty sleeve

Was of course pinned across his chest,

And his glittering stars were on full display,

An impressive sight, no less!

But he was smaller than I would have thought,

Very slender, with a face far too thin,

But he had a lively energy and a boyish charm,

That made me widely grin!

It was truly odd to see the man

Who captured England’s heart,

He who is bathed in immortal glory,

‘Twas a memory from which I’ll never part.

He is so often spoke of,

With all the battles he did win,

To see his figure, finally in person –

‘Twas indeed a very strange thing!