Sargasso

Sargasso
..by D Johnson
Fourteen days adrift time slowly slipped 
on the good ship Cavalier 
Becalmed, morose, no water they sipped 
drank rum to calm their fear 
The fog was thick o'er water and ship 
On the swell it heaved and slid 
They cooked a brew of weevily stew 
while the scurvy came unbid 
For days on end they searched a way 
to leave this fog behind 
no salt sea spray but the fog did stay 
And the captain lost his mind 
The men aloft could see not much 
And the cook he often swore 
The meat was full of maggots and such 
and green as the forest floor 
the boatswains mate didn't hesitate 
he swung from the mast at four 
the knot he made to hold his weight 
was said by some quite poor 
Old Will he said it should be done 
ten coils on the noose for sure 
they lingered on this end of one 
for soon there'd be four more 
though darkness came who was to blame 
who brought the curse on the ship 
they searched in vain for the old boatswain 
then over the side he'd slip 
come dawn of day a ship they say 
came looming from the fog 
its masts were bent and sheets were rent 
and the captain called for grog 
just one man stood near the deck fore grate 
it's timber ghostly grey 
perhaps he was the masters mate 
n'er a glance he cast our way 
we hailed him then with all our might 
not a move e'er came from him 
as the ship was drifting out of sight 
the head rolled from his skeleton thin 
Old Will now said "yes mates we're dead 
this is the sargasso sea 
there's no escape from this" he said 
"only death will set you free" 
so madness came some went insane 
rat poison cook did share 
the captain with an axe was slain 
and death was everywhere 
corpses now bobbed around the ship 
like jelly fish near a beach 
their accusing eyes attention grip 
stone dead but out of reach 
when I alone was left to moan 
the fate befallen me 
a breeze had made the rigging groan 
and we moved upon the sea 
all night I stood on the deck of wood 
till day brought clear sunlight 
the bloody fog was gone for good 
but something wasn't right 
a whiff of smoke from an old clay pipe 
like the one old Will did use 
I turned and ducked and dodged the swipe 
but the blade my arm did bruise 
Old Will he says "You have to die 
to break the curse you used" 
His eye was dead but his grin was wry 
and death walked in his shoes 
he swung the axe as he lumbered forth 
and it lodged in the mast close by 
I punched him south west east and north 
and over the side to die. 
climb the ladder?

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