A few years ago I visited Helsinki in summer. I used to walk every evening by the waterfront and see ferries leaving for Stockholm, Tallin, in Estonia, and Travemünde and Lübeck in Germany. It was very pictureque and romatic.
It inspired me to write a poem
Finnish Ferries
Ungainly ferries plying to Poland Estonia and Sweden
As history drips from the Laps of the Finns
Music, feet and soldiers shaped your nation
The winter war, Sibelius and Nurmi’s wins
Was it Meto’s stoic medal and feats
Who etched your courage on skis
Blood and bursting lungs surged while others
Flew from the jumps through trees
You gave women the vote a century ago
Now their strength and leadership shapes
You country’s new wealth and power
What a difference diverity and respect makes/
Helsinki 12 June 2004
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