For Theo.
Titanic was a mighty ship,
It’s famous just because
They thought it wasn’t sinkable:
It turns out that it was.
They tried to make the perfect ship
You can’t blame them for tryin’
Turns out no ship’s unsinkable
If it’s made out of iron.
But still, they thought they’d made a hull
No obstacle could break
They’d tested every panel but
They made one big mistake
The water where they built the ship
Was cold, but just a little –
And cold does things to molecules
That makes them go all brittle
And this is an experiment
That you can try yourself
Just go and get a bit of food
From any kitchen shelf
It should be something bendy
Like a sausage or some bread
Or if you’ve got one, you could use
A runner bean instead
Now put it in the freezer
And then wait an hour or so
Then see if it’s still bendy
(The answer will be no.)
So when Titanic sailed north
There was no turning back
The metal went all brittle
And the iceberg made it crack.
Titanic was a mighty ship
But here’s what’s strange, I think:
We don’t remember any names
Of ships that didn’t sink.
Tom Juniper Poetry 