Vasa

I will return to the Stockholm ship and

do my bit to protect it (and I will

recall that I emit 75

watts of body heat). I will keep in mind

the 400 year old oak, acidic

salt outbreaks in iron-rich areas

(formed from catalysed reactions), and jets

of polyethylene glycol that seeped

into waterlogged wood. For, chemists tried

to preserve the ship (it’s good to prevent

wood from cracking and drying). After the

polyethylene glycol was removed,

some objects embraced a waxy finish.

Stephen Paul Wren