David Byler 1946-2020 was 8th generation Croatian-American and permanent correspondent of the CROWN

PLOVI BROD IZ AMERIKE – Džo Maračić-Maki
A few weeks ago when I heard this song again, I was reminded of all the Croatian seamen who go out into the Gulf of Mexico to fish, to shrimp, to dredge for oysters, to work on the oil rigs, and who are on ships carrying cargo back and forth from here to Europe and really to the whole world.
Some of them spend months away from home, others are gone for years. Some never get to go home. Some never go on board a ship. Some stand barefoot in the sand looking out across the sea towards Home with hot tears running softly down their cheeks. For some, the last voyage Home is the Last Voyage forever. But we all wish the same things. We wish freedom and prosperity for the Home and somehow, sometime, we wish for that boat sailing from America towards the beaches of Home.
I asked Džo Maki if I could dedicate his song on this video to all the Croatian seamen especially in the region of the Gulf of Mexico. He agreed. I met Džo Maki last April (2013) at the Croatian – American Ball in Houston. He is a very personable and fine gentleman, very talented and very gracious. I am honored to count him among my friends.
On 8 July down here we shall have the “Blessing of the Fleet.” Perhaps you will see some of that on video right here. Perhaps you will see the Croatian flag flying too!
I wrote my own little “poem” as a dedication to Maki’s song –

from Florida to Tampico
there are hundreds and hundreds
even thousands
Croatian seaman go to their boats
in the hours of the morning
which other people name as night
some are away from shore for hours
others are upon the sea for weeks
some remain upon the shore
everyone dreams that one day
he will be upon a boat from America
which will find the coast of his beloved Homeland
for some this happens every year
for many this never happens
until they are a box of ashes returning
everyone lives as near the shore as possible
even when we are old
we look across the sea to the east
some dampness in our eyes
perhaps someday
someday there will be plovi brod iz Amerike
carry us to the coast of our Homeland

with Džo Maračić-Maki’s permission
the tiny Croatian community in Brownsville Texas
dedicates Maki’s wonderful song
and this small video
to all those Croatian men
who are each day upon the Gulf of Mexico
or who stand upon its shores
and who all dream one dream together …
There is one woman in our lives
who is above all others
she wears a blue skirt
and a red blouse
she wears a white sash
tied together with a red and white checkered buckle
she is our favorite lady
her name is Hrvatska
we wish to see her again before we die.

I hope you understand about the woman with the blue skirt. These days, its the only skirt in her wardrobe. With the help of God, it will always be the only skirt in her wardrobe. Any other woman who has ever come into my life has had to understand that I would lay down my life for my lady in the blue skirt and red blouse. She has always been and always will be my true mother, my true sister, and my true love all in one. That last statement might be incomprehensible to anyone who is not Croatian in their heart, none-the-less, it is true.

Join me in listening to this song
as we stand in the sand
looking out across the waves
waiting for that boat
which will finally sail from America
to our Home

Do sljedeći put, blagoslov – until next time, blessings,
Canovals a.k.a. Slavonac
28 Lipanj 2013
Source canovals.blogspot.com