Boxes in the Dark
By Alice Winship
The boxes are full, waiting in the dark
Thousands of boxes, with stories to impart
The mute artifacts of a seagoing past
These things can speak, we just have to ask
Seattle has no maritime museum
This is why you’ll never see them
Let them out! Let them talk!
Don’t keep our past behind a lock
Packed in boxes, locked away
No place to display:
Varnished wood and gleaming brass,
Weights of lead and globes of glass,
Letters, logbooks, uniforms,
Survivors of a thousand storms,
Whistles, photos, sextants, bells
Each one with a tale to tell
Keep the stream of knowledge flowing
Where we’ve come from shows where we’re going
You’d walk out a little higher
Your gaze would be a little wider
The past is rich with gifts to give
The voices from the past can live!
All West Coast cities have a maritime museum
Except Seattle, so you’ll never see them
Let them out! Let them talk!
Don’t keep our past behind a lock
The boxes are full, waiting in the dark
Thousands of boxes, with stories to impart
Notes
Colleen Wager has long led the struggle to develop a maritime museum in Seattle. Northwest Seaport, Puget Sound Maritime Historical Society, MOHAI, and other organizations have large collections of maritime artifacts which are stored out of site.
These artifacts could mean a lot to people if they were put on display. It would make sense to combine all these efforts into one museum and organization.
Credits
- Poem by: Alice Winship
- Performed by: Alice Winship