Reading a bedtime story
to my great-grand child
Now and then the gods look out for you,
At least that’s what wise ones say.
Vanity, they also say, is Narcissus way,
Indeed, he my take pity and let you look
into his mirror and see
Gallivats and scallywags with chests of gold,
Avast! They will take hold of you,
Trade you for safe passage through
Inner secret waterways,
Or trade for jewels and golden pearls~
Now close your eyes and go to sleep,
the rest of your story will have to keep.
Rascals and Ragamuffins
Scoundrels and Scallywags
Each bows in subservience
To Monarchs and Moneybags
The dead ambitious in The Empire
Wrecked her, when they began to aspire
To The Top that would Intrigue inspire:
When dreamt they to ascend Sky-High Spire,
Soon finding out they could just conspire
Against their Emperor and Umpire
If not him crush good, cause to expire…
And this badly hit the empire:
At work, few with a will to perspire;
Only scallywags with ease respire
A Once-Splendid Once-Glorious Empire
In which was found Much-Treasured Sapphire
Just like that ‘enveloped in great fire.
-Cheeky Little Nile Bugalugs-
I could fall on a turntable and raise the roof. Let the beat drop, but what’s the point scallywags?
Crickets chirp unwanted truths into my ears at night. Leaf the poor sauerkraut alone.
Saunter through the valley of the shadow of death. Feel ecstatic to run the entire pilgrimage’s course.
Safe bets aren’t the way to go. Poverty makes a man hateful.
Sweet sounds of comradery swell, The wave crashes down on the innocent.
Time to set the stage, umbrella’s will be encouraged. Don’t know what’s lurking above.
Never finished a rubix cube, too much time…Not enough advances.
Crease…And snap! The willpower of a lily shouldn’t be overlooked.
Purple innocence like the Nile’s nectar and lettuce combined, make a fruity concoction cocktail of Aphrodite’s vengeful lust.
Orgy porgy swimming in the labyrinth of soma incorporated.
A curious cocktail of odours greets us
as we move in from playground
to corridor, to cloakroom, to classroom.
Beeswax fragrance: freshly buffed parquet.
Brasso smell: base metal turned to gold.
Jeyes Fluid: vapour killing vile germs.
Such alchemy starts our day with clean slate.
Playground cacophony left behind.
Now each sound has discipline, has purpose.
First bell: registration shall begin.
Next bell: proceed to assembly hall.
Lasses stand on round marks; lads on square marks.
Regular rows, parallel precision.
Stand to attention. Uniform inspection.
At ease. Handshakes and smiles. Peace be with you.
Silence pervades as we ponder our sins.
With ramrod fingers Miss thumps on the keys.
Staccato. Left. Right.
'Ride on Ride on in Majesty'.
A short sermon on compassion is served.
Then, school notices: soccer successes
and the listing of scallywags destined
for public thrashing at high noon next day.
Third bell: learning shall begin.
RI lesson. St Paul's Journey yet again.
In silence we colour in his route map.
With crayons on auto-pilot we day dream.
Our apostle arrives in Rome by morning break.
I was in love with the most lovable sheila
but she did darn take off with me heeler
Overnight, she had packnd their bags
not just me dog, gone too with me scallywags
Left with just a simple note
she had found a more loving bloke
Heartbroken to have lost them all
I gave me mate Bluey a call
Together we drank more than just a slab
ending up so hammered, he had to call us a cab
As the lonely days passed and tears filled me eyes
by crikey it hit me, suddenly I came to realise
What a bloomin idiot, she deserved such love and respect
every night boozin with me mates, my true love I did neglect
I'm gunna cut out me drinkin and win her heart back
fair dinkum fella's, you can flamin bet on that!
Oh, ye scallywags
Ye think ye have this maid?
Your charming boons
Shall make me swoon
And in your bed be laid?
No! No! You bucks
You rusty mucks!
Ne’r with the likes of thee
My precious gift
Shall not be riffed
Not even for a fee!
I’ll serve your ale
And hear your tale
But then begone with you
For in my heart
Deep in the dark
Lies love that once was true.
Jes' a rollin' chinwag
in th' tongue o' sea scallywags
th' piratin' yarn tha' ne'er did birth
no' fanciful, nor folly
jes' stew'd up prob'ly
neithe' aimin' fer side-splittin' mirth
Tharrr be nary no Cap'n
me gums be a-flappin'
th' kinfolk in verse ter regale
'tis no genius at play
th' scribe o' yon day
be feath'rin' a no'sensical tale
Engaged we be by the roar of the Sea
the surf it's waves sings it's rhapsody
The sea she waves be tempest crossed
the boys who sail 'er knows 'er cost
victims she's consumed overboard were tossed
her temperament engulfs the souls be lost
"er winds have billowed in yer sails
and cargoes lashed upon yer rails
the oceans swells where shipping flails
to bolster courage mates swell their ales
A place for men to conquer fear
as daily danger draws it near
there be no calm without skies so clear
them men count lives as precious dear
"er heart she be at never rest
with her bounties has mankind blessed
you stay be fleeting you are only guest
she'll swallow you and your life ingest
"er character be ever changed
no day with 'er be ere the same
her waters called by many name
there be days of calm but never tame
And man be found like angry sea
with little peace but on 'es knee
for her crests are tumultuous eternally
and laps the shores displays whats she
You scallywags have heard 'er tales
those 'er's taken that woman bewails
the times 'er tests and men she fails
who sought adventures in ships with sails
COPYRIGHT © 2010 C Michael Miller
I love my son he's always chipper
he's my scallywag and I'm the skipper
and the apple does'nt fall far from the tree
he's menatly challenged just like me!
and even though his dad's a zero
"hey dad your my hero!"
having fun is all he's wishing
"hey dad ya wanna go fishin?"
lost the house a home we have not
"hey dad looky what I caught!"
no business financal ruin we sank
"aww dad you can have my piggy bank"
rich kids need toys to have fun
"love you dad!" "love you son!"
think no toys would make him sad?
such a good boy "your the best dad!"
now I know I won't always live forever
"hey dad we always be together?"
"no worries son just stay chipper
you'll have your own scallywag and you'll be the skipper!"
by Captain Mike Harris and his son
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
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
Looking for the formal definition, structure, and history of this poetry form? Visit the Poetry Dictionary entry below. Then return to explore how PoetrySoup members bring the form to life through their own poems.