Afloat Between Two Powers

Out on the sea

Between the US and Cuba

Was a small boat, tiny and wee

That would cause a lot of hoop-la

On the radars it appeared

Not too far, closing in near-

A little boat on the sea.

The U.S. thought it was Castro’s

And demanded answers.

Cuba thought America was the maestro

With their imperialism spreading like cancer!

Neither side was too happy

Thinking the other side was attacking

With this little boat on the sea.

Hail the Chief and commission the ships-

Today we go to war!

And the Cubans got a tip

That this was reality, not just lore.

So it was off to fight

Which put both sides in a fright

Over a tiny boat on the sea.

The missiles were armed,

The muzzles were pointed,

Waiting for the other to disarm

But both were disjointed.

They stood their ground

With what they found-

A little boat on the sea.

Said both sides:

“Hold it men,

Now’s our time

To pay them back times ten

For they really drew the line!

They think they’re hot stuff

But we’ve had enough

With this little boat on the sea.”

However, right before they fought,

Out there between the U.S. and Cuba

They saw on this boat they’d both sought

An immigrant man with a tuba!

He played it well to the fleets (which he did not notice,)

A small, bald, Russian man named Otis

Out on his little boat on the sea.

Both sides sat so intent and listened

That they totally forgot why they were there.

So even though their missiles gleamed and pistols glistened,

Neither side seemed to care.

They shrugged and went back home that night

It just wouldn’t make sense to fight

Over a little boat on the sea.