Best Jolly Roger Poems
It was the 17th century, and I was travelling with my family,
We were sailing to Europe and a new beginning;
Father had brought all our money and belongings on the ship,
Everything we owned was in the hull in chests tied down.
It was dawn when the Pirates came out of the fog,
The battle was short, and I am not sure how many died;
I was so afraid as I clung to father, shivering on the cold deck,
There was enormous booty taken from the ships hull.
When the Pirates finished, we were looked over critically,
I had heard tales of these rogues taking girls as slaves;
The captain touched my raven hair with his long fingers,
I could not look at him but I sensed his mighty strength.
He grabbed my arm and dragged me away screaming,
That was the last I saw of my family; I was a captive;
His ship was massive and the jolly roger flag fluttered,
I looked back as my boat faded on the distance waves.
I was sure that all my family was dead and I wept and wept,
The Pirate captain put me in a cabin and locked the door;
Days turned into weeks and weeks and still he did not come,
Then one night as I combed my hair; there he was.
In two long strides, he had me in his arms of steel,
And I was swept away with his passionate kiss;
I could not believe that I, a virgin, was in the Pirates arms,
Fighting was useless, and why try, this was my future.
So, I melted quietly into his embrace and I was his,
I let him seduce me with his body and his words;
Pleasure was flowing through my young eager body in waves,
And I knew that I was truly a prisoner of this man.
In the days and nights that passed, I loved him,
I was his slave, but he soon became mine as well;
He whispered in my ears, promises of treasures and gowns,
And in time, I grew to love this Pirate of my heart.
___________________________
September 3, 2015
Narrative
Submitted to the contest, 101 In A Row - 8
Sponsor, PD
Third Place
______________________________
Written for the contest, A Pirate's Life For Me,
Sponsor, Kelly Deschler
First Place
Listen, my dears, and I'll tell you a tale
Of a princess, a pirate, and glory.
There's a shipwreck, a rescue,
A romance, a ransom,
And a handicapped whale in the story.
There once was a princess, fairest of all,
But also quite vain and spoiled rotten.
She had a semi-private
Affair with a pirate
That would be but for me now forgotten.
The pirate, Mad Jack, was bloodthirsty and crude,
When upset, he'd explode, blow his top off.
Merchant vessels he sank,
Made their crews walk the plank,
Or, more rudely, their heads he would lop off.
One day Princess Daphne set out to sea
With her maid, they were bound for Majorca.
But the maid, in a gale,
Was swept over the rail
And inhaled by an asthmatic orca.
Lifeboats were lowered, the crew clambered in
And rowed quickly away, only thinking
Of saving their own necks,
Not the princess below decks
Left alone on a wreck that was sinking.
Then through the storm a ship hove into view,
At first Daphne thought it would dodge her.
But before she could hail her,
She felt courage fail her,
From its mast flew a vast Jolly Roger.
When Princess Daphne was brought before Jack,
She was haughty but thought he was handsome.
But to his greedy eyes
This fair royal prize
Represented a shipload of ransom.
But Jack was still human, Daphne was too,
And soon they were sharing their privates.
To his quarters she moved
And his crew all approved,
No one loves a love tale more than pirates.
But what of the ransom, yet to be paid?
Well, here the plot gets even deeper.
The stingy king said to Jack,
"No, I don't want her back.
It's cheaper for me if you keep her."
So Princess Daphne became Jack's sea wife,
And though common, but not mandatory,
When they became parents
They stopped being pirates
And passed peacefully out of the story.
For now then, my dears, that's the end of my tale,
An adventurous one hard to equal.
But, if I may be so bold,
And there's more to be told,
It may one day unfold in a sequel.
I come to you with humble thanks for all that you’ve delivered,
For Englishmen to walk the planks and for timbers left unshivered.
I thank you for a glassy sea and the steady blowing breeze,
For giving all these things to me without making me say please.
And I thank you for the horizon where sea and sky do meet,
For every new sun that I watch risin’ is a day of fate I’ll cheat.
It is my hope dear loving Lord that I can bring you pleasure,
By throwing someone overboard and stealing all their treasure.
And when I navigate at night you send the northern star,
I feel then that I’m alright and it’s to you that I’ll say ARRR.
There’s a lesson that some people teach about the carrying that you do,
But I knew that the footprints on the beach must have belonged to you.
‘Cause I got a peg and there’s no doubt it would’ve got stuck into the sand.
I couldn’t have pulled myself back out because I got this hook for one hand.
I’d like to see you but by some quirk my good eye got covered by my patch,
I know that I’m just salvage work and it’s you who’ll batten down my hatch.
So Yo Ho Ho and a bottle of rum and raise the Jolly Roger to the sky,
And praise Him from whom blessings come the one who reigns on high.
For I am grateful for the gifts that you have granted me,
A pirate ship that is so swift and the blue green open sea.
Arggh me hearties! We're takin' a long-awaited vacation!
Th' enchantin' isles uv th' Caribbean is ar final destination!
Hoist th' Jolly Roger an' them billowin' sails an' let's git 'er underway!
Th' Spanish Main is ripe fer pillagin' so let's git thar without delay!
Ye signed on fer this here little cruise knowin' I runs a very tight ship.
Ye do yer jobs, don't complain an' don't ye dare give me any lip!
Ye'll git three squars a day an' yer daily tot uv rum as well.
An' I 'spect ye ta stick wit' me tho' we may ketch almighty hell!
Now if'n we happen ta meet a sloop er two upon th' boundin' main,
Ah'll 'spect ye ta wield yer swords an' cause th' scoundrels pain!
Jes' keep in mind that ye'll share in th' booty that we acquire,
An' I promise ye a proper burial at sea if'n ye should expire!
Arggh me maties! Ah'm anxious ta run me fingers thro' them pieces uv eight!
An' git me paws on them thar island beauties! Aye! I kin hardly wait!
Ye! Up thar in th' crow's nest! Keep a sharp lookout fer any ships at sea!
An' ye fellers on th' deck aim them cannons true when ye hear "far!" frum me!
Ah don't reckon that we'll be received as welcome guests in any port,
An' them wily natives will 'ave thar guns aimed at us frum ever' fort!
But if'n ye keep yer swords honed an' yer blunder busses' powder dry,
We'll carry off thar wimmin an' swag as we wave ta them goodbye!
Robert L. Hinshaw, CMSgt, USAF, Retired
© All Rights Reserved
Placed No. 9 in Paula Swanson's "A Tale o' Pillagin'" Contest - July 2010
I starts me life as pirate,
A grommet before age twelve,
Not an ordinary bandit,
High sea adventures me delve.
With a Letter of Marque in me han’
And the Commodore for me pa!
I spends dogwatch near the helmsman,
Nerey missin’ me bonny ma.
Old salts tell their gory tales,
Aye, dogs hanging from the gallows.
Punishments for a man who fails
Floggings or keelhaul; blood bath follows.
Scrimshaw hangin’ ‘round me neck.
A privateer by trade,
Flaunting booty on the deck
We’s the scallywags brigade.
Pirateering is me heartthrob.
I dreams schemes in the crows nest.
‘bout takin’ swag from an unfortunate swab.
I sits watchin’ pa from the crest.
Long nines aimed and ready,
Jolly Roger on the mainmast,
Headway fast and steady,
The enemy’s fate forecast.
One for all and all for one!
Drinkin’ grog an’ eatin’ grub.
Werkin’ on the “Morning Sun”
Me father at the hub.
Davy Jone’s locker, me final plight!
Death drifting in me beloved sea –
Straightway from the dark of night
The pirate’s life for me!
© July 15, 2010
Dane Smith-Johnsen
SHIVER ME TIMBERS!
Once a cut-throat and cannon ball dodger
Now a one legged salty old codger
But when ship enters docks he
Will look up an old doxy
And hoist up with a good Jolly Roger
Down in the crypt where the caskets lie
And dust stirs up when trucks go by
Giggling sounds, not moans and groans
From the tomb of Skelton Bones
When the trucks go by no more
No light peeks beneath the door
Bony feet on an ice cold floor
Skelton Bones inspects his claw
Skelton Bones was a pirate, old
Sailed the seas in search of gold
His right hand by a dragon took
Now its claw is Skelton’s hook
Once, he’d dressed in silk and cotton
Skelton’s clothes are long since rotten
All that’s left, a belt and buckle
And his hat which makes him chuckle
He’s Skelton Bones; a pirate, nude
But not intentionally rude
He says, “Ahoy!” in pirate tones
That’s the sound of Skelton Bones
But now he has a yen to be
Once more sailing ’pon the sea
Been too long; three hundred years
Skelton calls his buccaneers
When the door creaks open wide
Ghostly pirates lurk outside
But with no seas to sail nearby
Skelton’s ship takes to the sky
Hear that Jolly Roger flap?
Or the canon hatches clap?
Keep a firm hand on your riches
Or he’ll steal them… and your britches
And as he rides the clouds and skies
A crew, undead, that never dies
In Skelton’s wake the east wind wails
It’s in his bones and in his sails
Welcome to my Kingdom,Handsome Pirate Of the Seas!
I'm just a little Mermaid,have no feet, nor even knees..
Yet i have a Heartbeat,Waitin for a Human's Love,
a Kiss of love ,transform me,in a lady On Your lands above.
Welcome to my Kingdom ,Handsome Pirate Of the Seas,
Your chocolate Brown eyes sparkling,Will You show me what love means?
I'm so joyful!Even Happy,Your Ship sunked in my deep blue!
In my tender of my weakest,i have a soft spot just for You!
Welcome to my kingdom,Handsome Pirate of the Seas,
Sing to me, On this velvet evening,songs of Sweetest Melodies.
Let Us ,travel UnderWater,I have treasures just for You,
Here are Mermaids in Dark colors,Bronzed Brunettes,and Blondies too!
They can teach you Coral Dancing,On your lap,all over you!
In their Caves,they give you pleasure!as they lullaby with you.
They give you their Gold treasures,Precious Stones and Diamonds too,
Yet all that i can offer,is a Pearl,for whom will love me true.
You can leave me,Go and party,through the night ,Under Rocked waves,
Or else,leave all behind,as You join me in my magic secret place.
Handsome Pirate,i can't give You all their Diamonds and their Gold,
all i can ever give you,is my Loyal Heart to hold..
Handsome Pirate,i can give you, Just a Pearl i've never sold,
this Pearl is pale and fragile,with a tale still to be told..
Welcome to my Kingdom Handsome Pirate of the Seas,
I'm just a little Mermaid,have no feet ,Nor even knees...
Handsome Pirate, i am leaving!If You want Me ,Call my name!
i come forward in an instance ,Hearing what you've gotta say
Welcome to my Kingdom,Handsome Pirate Of the Seas,
Hold on to my Silver tail,as We swim in Our Sweet Dreams
(to be cont..) (Inspired and Helped by jOlly Roger :)Charma
Twere a blisterin day, on da Fundy Bay, aboard da ‘ Black Angel of da Blue”,
with a crew of 32, whilst resting a spell, wid a thunderin clap of grog ,
when da Jack o’ Cups , his Jib a hangin, spotted a Jolly Roger aft.
Aye! ye coulda sinked me! When dem thar scallywags gave chase.
So we pumped da bilge, droppin a load of crap in thar path, weighed anchor,
turned three sheets to da wind and tried to outrun dem thar sprougs,
but me mateys' deadlights twere blinded by da grog -
as useless as dem thar lanlubbers, and soon dem thar scallywags
overhauled da ‘ Black Angel’.
So! wid a heave to, we blasted dem thar swabs wid da balls off da Brass Monkey...six pounders dey be, but nary-a-one hit da mark and nary a one came back. Dem thar scuffeys' didn’t aim ta sink us, fur da botty be all dey be wantin.
Arrr! Fur sur now we be black spotted,
but I not be ready fur Davey Jones locker yet.
One more clap of thunder be what I be needin ta clear me groggy mind
and figger a way outta dis hornwaggle.
So I spliced da mainbrace and it come ta me in a flash,
da only cargo we be a carryin be Rummmmmmmmmmmm.
so we set dem thar kegs adrift and it wernt long afore dem thar
sprougs was a drinkin grog and a fine time be had by all.
~~~~~
Inspired by: Paula Swanson's contest
Awarded: Second Place
Author's Note:
In order to understand this narrative, you need to understand Pirate's language. You can
find it on the web - just type Pirate language in your search engine.
14 July 2010
The Sea Rover
Moving sideways or careening
All hands hoay and avast ye
Sea dogs and landlubbers go on pillaging
Jolly Roger is flapping guarded by cannon and artillery
Pistol, daggers, and doubloon among things inside the sea-chest
Walk the plank if they caught you as offenders
Or heave to an island and marooning them as helpless
Yo ho ho! and a bottle of rum as a way of pirate’s laughter
As the ship rolled about on high seas
Plenty of cackle fruit to serve a salmagundi
A drink of grog or bumboo wobbled their sea legs
In tossing ship, proves them as scallywags
Blow me down! alerted by a cannon blast
The enemies have climbed on their Jacob's ladder
Black spot meet their way on to Tortuga’s vast
All hearty and brave soldiers have fallen to Davy Jone’s locker
I'll tell ye of me life as a pirate
I knows ye sees me as some old codger
But when I was a young'n matey
I sailed 'neath the Jolly Roger!
Oh, it's truth I be tellin' ye now
'N ye may think that I be a loon
But I talk so rever'ntly 'bout me ship 'n Cap'n
For in truth, 'E made us dance a lively tune.
'E wore a patch o'er one eye
'N had a hook where fingers grow.
When we 'eard the thumpin' of 'Is peg leg on deck
We knew some ship 'd be given up 'er cargo.
We'd be a'squintin' 'ard at the 'orizon
'N 'Ed call for 'Is telescope to measure
If the sail that we'd come upon
Mightn't be a ship full o' a'rn kind o' treasure.
Then we'd sail up nice 'n cozy
A'fore 'Ed run up the bones on black.
But by that time matey
They could not withstand a'rn attack.
"Shiver me timbers, All hands on deck!" , came 'Is shout
For 'E was a Taker 'n ne'er a Giver.
It's many a time me eyes 'd see 'Im
Cuttin' out some poor soul's liver.
Oh, some tried to fight,
The foolish tried a runnin'
But the Cap'n made well sure
They'd get a'rn full broadside gunnin'.
We'd jump o'cross the ratlines with daggers a'tween a'rn teeth
Oft times we'd skewer the entire crew
Then take 'ER plunder aboard a'rn vessel
'N sink t'othern down to Davey Jones...so thar'd behind be left no clue.
Then the Cap'n set sail for Tortuga
Thar be plenty of Rum 'n Women for us thar
Ye still don't believe I was a pirate?
All I can say is..."ARRRRRRRRRR"!
The Pirates
Pirates were around in the 16th century, they flew the
Jolly Roger/Scull & Crossbones and would loot and pillage
Ships at sea, for their rich cargo and gold doubloons
Over the years they have moved to land in guises as
Highwaymen and bushrangers, outlaws that steal money
As well as gold and defy the law. In modern times the
Pirate has become an even bigger threat to the film and
Music industry by bootlegging copies on videotape and
Disks, robbing performers and actors of their rightful
Royalties. Now in the days of the Internet, the pirate or
Modern day version known as a scammer, creates
All sorts of evil ways to attain money on hoax activities
Dating sites and social networking even through networks
With items for sale. Yes hoaxes and scams make up about
Seventy percent of Internet activities, which goes
Unpoliced, with people losing large ammounts of money
To these unscroupulous people every day. Can they be
Stopped? The answer is a mystery, as the world is losing
It's innocence to unstoppable theives we call pirates.
Born to the sea
Mind of water, flowing thoughts;
The currents beneath your words could change us all.
River heart, born to the sea;
The solace we seek waves to you and to me.
Join me on this voyage, over water, to a new land.
All hands on deck chairs are temporarily in the sand.
Cast ashore to repair our vessel,
But soon we shall cruise again, so hoist that sail.
Raise it so high, that the crow's nest will not be our peak
And the land dwellers will be the last people that we would wish to meet.
My crew and I are setting off on an adventure;
A journey across the deep blue, to a land of mischief and wonder.
The undiscovered land, on the other side of a new life.
We be pirates, so we be; so raise that Jolly Roger flag upon high.
Let all who see our symbol know the story of our ship.
The unsinkable voyager;
A blast from the past, blowing through the wind.
Raise the sails and let the wind take us in and move us on
And throughout the jagged edged cliffs and beyond!
And on past the mermaids that sit upon the rocks,
Singing such enchanting songs
And on past the things that they call ‘The Leviathan’.
Release the Kraken! The foulest beast from the Gods up above
And we shall continue this trek into the darkest of the rum.
To the bottom of the barrel, right down to the Admirals eye.
Let the birds be our guide to our next paradise.
Land ahoy! There be treasure there for sure;
So onward ya scurvy rats and be prepared to fight once more!
We are damned to forever sail,
Since the life at sea swallowed our cursed souls;
Now we travel these high seas in search of more silver and gold.
(C)2016 Aa Harvey. All Rights Reserved.
Form:
Peter Pan? He is nothing but a tale drawn out,
a hero of half-truths, drowned in fairy dust,
the dullest side of a double-edged sword.
Before my time lost its salt,
before the boards of this ship were
chapped, split with oceans breath,
before my features grew distinct with age,
a treasure map, carved and creased,
I found myself in Neverland,
as the first dear friend of Peter Pan.
His mind, repressed by the adventures of youth,
has forgotten how young I once was.
Even wiser pirates such as myself
must work to picture a single moment.
Its the sea that causes it,
as time curls and crashes like waves
against toothy rocks,
small histories are bound to vanish.
Yet, in my steely snare, just one memory remains:
When Peter called me James.
The roads we drew in play led us to water,
and how empty we found it!
A voyage was our grandest idea.
In agreement we labored,
drew up clean sails, lacquered lumber.
Christened with a sailors poison,
the Jolly Roger in its finest form!
We followed the arms and legs of rivers,
watching as they became larger bodies,
waters unconquered, unkinged.
My calloused hand brushed the helm,
Peter drew his sword,
mortally pressing its edge to my throat.
You or me, James, he said,
to be a captain or a codfish!
With a smug grin he pounced,
cleaving the air with great circles,
the sharp clanging of metal rang in the mist like bells.
My brow so pinched in focus, first wrinkles formed,
til at last, my blade struck his side.
Peter fell, outdone.
Your cockiness has left you bleeding.
With my hand held out,
his eyes grew bright and bursting like broken stars.
With a smile wild and white, he let out a powerful crow:
Aye, but I’m a clever doodle-doo!
Another crow, he dove at the hand that bested him.
A pain, a demon, a hell!
Honest blood from my moral flesh.
A black pain shook my blackening soul,
As I watched a crocodile feast on the gift
God had meant for my own purposes.
Peter crowed once more.
I watched as he flew on,
his blood dripping into my ocean,
my kingdom!
May this Jolly Roger forever tread
upon the waves of a crowing cowards blood.
I accept the role of villain,
the rival of the wondrous, flying boy,
but may you never forget who won the sea,
and who it is the codfish, be.
Dear Lori, my lady, my darling divine
My vision of beauty, my radiant shine
More precious to me than the tulips you bring
That opened for me in the sips of my Spring
Your lips are the dells of the wells that I drink
The pink in the blues of the bells in my sink
The sweet summer smells in the fragrance of rose
That rise in the swells of the scents in my nose
Your eyes are the orbs in my heavenly sight
They sparkle and shine with the heat of delight
They will me and fill me with starlight above
They spill me the wine of your free-flowing love
Your heart is my hearth and my pillow of peace
My calm in the balm of a soothing release
My ocean of milk in a free, flowing tide
That follows my silk in a three-second glide
The bubble you burst is my right of command
The trouble you cursed by the sight of my band
The fool that is me is no true folly dodger
Perhaps what you see is a blue Jolly Roger
The lack of a lift is a lofty complaint
The loss of a gift to be more than I ain't
The wreck of my ship and the flight of my crew
Is leaving my trip in a seafaring stew
The pleasure of you is the peak of my perk
To leisure with you in a week after work
A matter of lust that we leak in restraint
A tatter of trust for the meek and the Saint
To 'bide in your glow is to pause in your light
The side that you show for the cause that is right
The row that we hoe in our quest to succeed
Will grow in the flow of the best we can feed
The sorrow of loss is the second you choose
To borrow the cross for the minute you lose
The sting that we lack in our struggling ahead
Will bring us right back to our snuggling in bed
The loneliest heart is the strongest to feel
The homeliest part that is longest to heal
The rapture I seek is no climb of regret
To capture the peak of a time to forget
The tender respite is the right kind of love
To render it right is the height of above
The good that you show by the smile I see
Is something you grow by the mile for me
Dear Lori, my lady, and soon-to-be wife
Your story of love is the glory of life
Your gift is my song and the powers you bring
To gather my heart in the flowers of Spring.