Long Ship Poems
Long Ship Poems. Below are the most popular long Ship by PoetrySoup Members. You can search for long Ship poems by poem length and keyword.
His gold teeth glistened in the sun
As ‘Long Ben Avery’ turned
To face his captives, head lowered,
Their providence to learn
For Avery was a pirate bold
Trained in the Kings’ Navy
Who, disillusioned with his lot,
Captained a mutiny
He seized ‘The Fancy’, in Cadiz
An act both rare, and bold
Then set out on the briny sea
In search of ships with gold
He plundered every vessel met
With not one man set free
And soon, his name spread fear and dread
Across the seven seas
For two years, not a ship was safe
As treasure he amassed,
But his biggest booty taken
Would prove to be his last
He sailed down to the Mandab Strait
And other ships did meet
Who chose him as their Admiral,
To raid the India Fleet
The ‘Mogul’s’ flagships, tried to flee
Chased by the pirate fleet
But a brutal, two hour battle,
Ended with their defeat
The pirates tortured those they caught
Without a thought, or care
As they searched on board for treasure
For each, to glean their share
The ‘Mogul’, proffered swift revenge
Hunting the pirates down,
Swearing each villain, had to hang
For crimes against his crown
The pirates scattered, far and wide
To skirt captivity
But most were caught, and hung with rope
Strung from the nearest tree
But Avery, was never found
Or his share of the hoard
It’s rumoured that his crew killed him,
And threw him overboard
No matter what became of him
Or what, was ‘Long Ben’s’ fate
No man’s ever bettered his feat
In history, to date.
I was shaking and swaying to music of the 60’s,
My favorite stuff,
When my grandchildren joined in,
And this is no guff.
I whirled them and twirled them,
We stomped on the floor,
We got out pots,
We got out pans.
We threw them around the kitchen,
Our dance was grand.
Then we ran out to the yard, as we were still on fire.
We danced in the yard, shaking our booties.
We stomped and we chanted, and we rubbed the trees with our cooties.
We were wearing scarves now,
Our treasure trove.
We threw them in the air,
And we laughed, and skipped.
And we watched them flutter, like the sail of a ship.
We preened, and we twirled, and we whirled and we pranced.
The two-year-old got giddily excited, in her underpants.
Then we got out the chalk, and we painted the garage.
All of it, not just the doors.
And the driveway,
And the porch,
And the steps,
And the floors.
Grandpa came out and his face really got red
And we laughed and we danced, and we teased him so bad.
He ran back inside, and covered his head.
It was a fine day,
For the grandchildren and me.
It always is, when they get on this kick.
And no one can stop us, not one little bit!
..He just nodded, and motioned her to start,
she said,”First thing you have to tell me
is how do I know there's no aliens germs
that will give me some whacked-out disease?”
He said,”I have been here for eight whole years
and no sickness has come of me yet,
nor have I suffered from any of yours,
so I'm thinking it is a safe bet.”
She said,”We've already slept together,
is there some hybrid child on it's way?”
He said,”No, you are too different
to meld with my species' core DNA.”
Jenna said,”Well that solves one big concern,
but it raises up another one still,
I have always wanted a big family,
but if I stay here then I never will.”
He just smiled,”That will not be the case,
adoption is mankind's greatest creation,
after all you took in this refugee,
you want kids? We'll adopt a whole nation!”
She was surprised by his exuberance,
and smiled, but motioned him to calm,
“There's one more thing that has worried me,
it has been bothering me all along.
“How do I know you are telling the truth,
that this isn't some type of charade,
that I won't look up and see ships above
killing us all in a fiery rain?”
He said,”You think I am some sort of spy?
I assure you, that is not how things are,
my people don't know this world exists,
only I have ever wandered this far.”
Finally she look him straight in the eyes,
said,”And what if you take your ship and leave?”
He grinned,”I sank my ship in the ocean,
so I'm afraid I'm here permanently.”
She released a breath she had been holding
for going on two torturous months,
she laughed,”I once asked God for a cowboy,
he has a funny way of sending one...”
He laughed and said,”That you'll always have,
but if you'll excuse me, I have to go,
the boys just slack off if I'm not out there.”
She smiled, said,”I will see you at home.
She watched him chase after the cowboys,
brought to life by the thrill of the ride,
crossed time and space just be a rancher...
Jenna chuckled, and made her way inside.
My map said, "Beyond there, monsters be",
on the fateful day that I left home,
to sail the deep, Balloonion Sea
of cresting waves and frothing foam.
As I waved goodbye to Mom and Pa,
tears streamed down my youthful face,
but I bucked up and sang, "La di da",
and sailed into the ocean's embrace.
The first few days, things went fairly well.
The sea around was still and calm,
but I discovered it was the hell
foretold by the witch who read my palm.
There was not a bite of food to eat.
Would I lose my mind? Would I go bats?
Would I eat the shoes right off my feet?
Would I resort to eating rats?
There was no wind to blow the sails,
and the provisions were so scant.
Was there no one to hear my wails?
Would God hear my appeals to grant?
As if in answer to these prayers,
a storm? - no, it was a tempest, raged,
as if the man who reigns upstairs,
upon my ship, a war, He waged.
Storm waves like wolves fiercely stalked and prowled.
Lightning threatened electric shocks,
Winds like sea-monsters screamed and howled,
and pushed me to the machete rocks.
I knew that I would surely die.
My voice was gone. I could not scream.
I said goodbye, but I did not cry,
and woke to find it was a dream.
In a city of fog and summerless light,
London hums softly, but nothing feels right.
Years have withered, your name still flows
Mithila, a whisper the morning wind knows.
We never danced in moonlit embrace,
Nor traced our fingers across time or space.
But the dots were sent… three soft ellipses…
Spoke louder than touches or lover’s kisses.
I heard you, without words, without sound,
Waves of canal cry where our hearts drowned.
You were my poem, unwritten but known,
My dream-shaped silence, my marrow, my bone.
You left as sudden as autumn leaves fall,
No reason, no echo, no curtain call.
And still I sit at this quiet Departure café,
Sipping my coffee as the ghosts replay.
Each afternoon, each cup, each silent stir
A ritual mourning the loss of her.
The seat across me is empty, yet warm,
Filled with a memory that breaks the norm.
We had no nights of candlelit rain,
No shared breath under windowpane.
But you were the soul of all I believed,
A love not touched, but deeply grieved.
Years don’t erase, they only delay,
The longing I carry, day by day.
I wait in the steam of my porcelain cup,
Still hoping one day you might look up.
So I wave my feelings into the air,
Like a flag for a ship no longer there.
Departure lingers where your shadow lay…
And I, still waiting, still love you today.
A version of you I loved and one that will always be mine—
While you speak to me with words now,
I looked at you with feelings inside.
You greeted me with a nod,
While I spread out my arms for a hug.
Before me, you stood with long hair, drained eyes, a crooked smile—
But all I could recall was the side pony, smiling eyes, and a toothless grin.
You articulate your speech now, trying to be sensible,
Yet I still hear the plans to commandeer a pirate ship and escape to distant lands.
Each time you joked, I searched for the smile you once had,
But they say you never find the same person even in the same individual twice.
You handed me a gift,
But it was nothing compared to the chocolate wrappers I saved at home—
A memory of the day you waltzed into class,
Your birthday, a thousand chocolates to share.
You gave everyone one,
While all along I had five.
We talked after a long time,
You apologised for losing touch.
I wanted to say it was okay, though it never really was.
Time has passed; what’s done is done.
The thread was cut long ago,
And no matter how we try to mend it,
A knot remains in the fabric of our bond.
We look at each other with softened glances,
Agreeing to keep in touch, knowing well that we won’t.
With this last lunch, I find a lifetime of peace,
Finally, a real smile—
Knowing I wasn’t wrong all this time,
And knowing that once, I truly loved you,
And that version of you will always be mine.
I was walkin' with my brothers
Through that acrid condition smell
Just two clicks inside the delta
We were walkin' into Hell
Fightin' for the Crested Eagle
Dealt a deadly hand of five
Well we knew it was a-coming
But we couldn't Step Aside
Here we go Boys
Just a priest in Jesus service
With the Lords love did abide
Man, nor God could sink that ship boys
Bitter words and boastful pride
He stood shakin' in the darkness
Prayin' against the tide
And he never seen it comin'
But he couldn't Step Aside
Woooh Oh Woah Oooh oh
Yeah ahh yay Yeah Yeah
Followed by instrumental
That crown of thorns he's wearin'
Held the light from seepin' in
(High wail) . . . He was broken He was bleedin'
As He suffered for our sins
Please do not forsake me Father
Redemption tears were all he cried
An' God knows He seen it comin'
But He wouldn't Step Aside
Woooh Oh Woah Oooh Oh
Yeah ahh yay Yeah Yeah
Lord I know I hear you callin'
Everyone I know feels so alone
Oh my God what have we done Lord
This world's turning cold as stone
Midnight's burning us alive, Lord
In a world we can't survive
Will we stay or will we falter
Will we stand, or Step Aside
Dreamed that you loved me again
I saw it in your eyes
Filled with love and happiness
The words we wrote despised
The tears were writ upon the clouds
Your heart was not the prize
The words we spoke can't be unsaid
Our love has been capsized
The birds sang out ,"its all for naught."
My love is not for sale
I prayed for you upon my knees
Was hid behind the veil
The hope I felt moved inside my dream
The picture had been taken
I wanted you to wait for me
Must have been mistaken
Woke to tears I see it clear
Gathered memories within my soul
Armies fought to cleanse the mess
Precious love was on the dole
The birds sang out ,"its all for naught."
My love is not for sale
I prayed for you upon my knees
You hid behind the veil
The birds sing with morning glory
Love carried in a pail
My prayer's were never heard those nights
My ship put out to sail
I visit when asleep at night
We're walking hand and hand
Hope those wicked birds sleep in
As we walk along the sand
Those birds are my alarm clock
As your vision slowly fades
Only see you as I dig the hole
It's best to use a spade
There’s an itch I have in the back of my heart,
An itch that won’t seem to fade,
It’s holding a truth I keep from the world,
A truth I need to explain,
About how much I value myself,
Was stolen by the feelings I feel,
How my pride has simply been overrun,
How my damage has been revealed,
And my feelings have changed how I feel about me,
Am I good enough? I don’t know,
My feelings have changed who I see deep inside,
They’ve changed who I’m able to show,
These feelings of mine are like a lost ship,
With an itch it hurts the most,
They take my self worth to “I don’t know where”,
Leaving me alone like a ghost.
Written on 19th June 2019 for Chantelle Anne Cooke's "Soul IQ" contest.
Castaway love
Slipped on the slope of mistaken disorder
Whispered my love in the palm of her hand
Watched as she waved from a ship near the border
Standing alone in a cavern of sand
Covered myself with a dune formed of sorrow
Dropped every anchor I held in the past
Counted the tides that would be my tomorrow
Took one more breath soon to become my last
Swam for a distance to uncharted places
Treading the waters of deepest despair
Wishing on stars sent to fill empty spaces
Keeping it secret for fear I might share
Drowning in seas of my heartbroken questions
Gasping for air in the night sky above
Searching for hope in amongst the suggestions
Lost in the shadows of castaway love