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Dropped anchor off the Fever Coast 
‘board a rake-masted schooner
Spooked by Ahab’s ghost. 
Lamps glowered through the yawning blanks
Casting bone-twisted shadows 
Over teakwood planks.
Salt biscuits and Jamaican rum; 
Heard the deep-throated rattle
Of the talking drum.

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Leaned hard against the mains’l boom. 
Strained my eyes in the blackness
Of the brackish gloom. 
Port lookout gave the counter sign;
Put our boats in the water, 
Oar blades dripping brine.
Paid tribute to the pagan chief 
In exchange for a passage
Past uncharted reefs.

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Slave dealers ruled the hidden cove 
Near a shrine to the god
Of the cassava grove. 
Made landing on the leeward shore.
Stacked our crates on the beach; 
They totaled near a score.
Trade muskets worth some eighteen head 
Pleased our hosts and they showed us
To the holding shed.

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Grey shackles made a hollow clank. 
Moved them out single file,
Guards on either flank. 
Fog greeted our return aboard.
Stashed our cargo below 
Where once the guns were stored.
Turned to and dodged a man-o-war. 
Rode that swift tidal current
Like a smuggler’s whore.

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Fair sailing till we hit the Cape, 
But we made Madagascar
Still in decent shape. 
Brisk business on the auction block
Where a Dutch merchant 
Purchased our entire stock.
He sold ‘em to the Portuguese. 
We set course for Calcutta
With the morning breeze.

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Crew mustered in the open air.  
Coins were stacked on a blanket
And I took my share. 
Two hundred stone of human freight
Brought me four Spanish dollars 
And a piece of eight.
Christ Jesus, we be ruthless men. 
Tell the god of the cassava
We’ll be back again.

Count it with numbers. Say it with words:
Guilt and compassion? Sh*t for the birds!
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