The Admiral and the Artist

We once met an admiral and artist
 in a wild, African, desert place.
And a finer couple there isn't.
Bear with us while we present our case.

The admiral is a strong and distinguished man
with a gentle but commanding style.
He came to the desert from the business world,
with experience and an engaging smile.

But the natives were tough in this new desert town.
Their ways much different from his own.
Profits and margins were not natural to them,
so that sometimes he felt quite alone.

But persistence and patience and going with the wind
were part of the admiral's way.
And of course sailing was his one great passion
that helped manage the stresses of the day.

The artist, his wife, was also strong,
with charm, great wit, and smile too.
But hers was a passion for water colors,
and not necessarily the admiral's crew.

Her gardening skills were really quite apparent:
the "artist's touch" at work in every bed.
In fact, the garden was her canvas
for expressing the patterns of color in her head.

She was also a great help to the community,
an easer volunteer for so many events.
Her hard work was a welcome addition,
not to mention her good common sense.

Together they were really quite amazing.
They sought adventure in everything they tried.
From close encounters of the lion kind,
to getting lost in the sun til they fried.

On that one the admiral's still shaking his head
cuz at sea his sense of direction's a gift.
But get he and the artist on land for awhile,
and they'll end up hopelessly adrift.

But seriously though, they are a great duo.
We wish they could join us to the west.
Cuz their good humor, style, and friendship
will most certainly and assuredly be missed.

We hope they'll come and visit us
in our new home in another desert realm.
And let's hope that they find their way safely.
Anything's possible with the admiral and the artist at the helm.

~The Miles family, Gaborone, November, 1991