Tankers, Early Morning

Greasy climbs from the tanker cab,
dwarfed by the monster’s width and height,
a human, oil-rag silhouette
against the vibrant livery.
A slap on its side, ‘Away you go’,
and the engine roars it on its way,
slow and lumbering at first,
bulbous as an elephant in calf.

Joyce Halliday