Sir John Franklin

The winter's night was dark and deep,
And Baffin's Bay was frozen o'er,
When Franklin on the ice did creep,
To seek the North-West Passage of yore.

His stout-heart beat, his courage high,
Though Arctic winds began to blow,
He scanned the stars within the sky,
And onward bravely did he go.

The ice, it groaned, the ship did strain,
Against the floes, a fearful fight,
But with a will, he did sustain,
His spirit burning ever bright.

Through fields of white, and lands of snow,
He mapped the coast, a noble quest,
Where few had dared, he dared to go,
To put the frozen North to test.

Alas! the cold, it claimed its prize,
His crew grew weak, their strength did fade,
Beneath the vast and empty skies,
A hero's journey, unafraid.

Though lost he was, his name lives on,
A legend in the polar land,
Sir Franklin's quest, though nearly gone,
Inspires us still, across the sand.