The Day I Became A Pirate
I was walking on the beach one day when I looked out to the sea,
And there on the horizon was a ship approaching me.
I could see a lot of sails and a flag above the mast,
And what I saw upon it left me feeling quite aghast...
The flag was black with a large white skull that had some missing teeth.
It also had a pair of bones crisscrossing underneath.
'A Pirate Ship!' I said out loud though no one was around.
I headed up the beach a bit to look for higher ground.
I found a spot and turned around then nearly lost my breath.
The ship was getting closer and it had a look of death.
The crew aboard was ragged, looking dirty, dank and rough,
Their clothes were torn and tattered and they all looked pretty tough.
I quickened up my pace a bit as the ship began to slow,
But I found myself too far away from anywhere to go.
As their ship came to a stop the anchor made a splash.
My heart was racing faster as I broke into a dash.
The rocks were high behind me and before me was the tide,
I finally stopped my running; there was no place left to hide.
Back on the ship I could see four men were launching a small craft,
One man up front, two in the middle, and one was sitting aft.
A few more guys up on the deck were handing down a fifth.
It looked like he was hurt or sick and was hard for them to lift.
They settled him inside the boat and the two in the middle paddled,
The man in back held the sick man's head and boy did he look rattled.
The man in the front was standing up and pointing from the sea,
I shuddered when I realized he was pointing straight at me.
I casually started walking and their boat it changed its course,
I doubled back the other way; they changed again, of course.
They rowed and rowed and picked up speed and seemed in such a hurry.
With no place left to run or hide, all I could do was worry.
I backed away a little bit as their boat came to the shore.
The one up front came jumping off and left the other four.
He came right up towards me and got bigger with every stride.
My heart was pounding from my chest, knees weak; I almost cried.
"Ahoy!" he said, "How do ye do?... We've come to get some aid."
He gestured back toward the boat to where his crewman laid.
"Me boy back thar, he's pretty sick and I don't know what to do.
We had to stop to save his life, and all we have is you.
So tender this me hardy lad, if you can make him right,
We'll leave you here with all our gold and embark before the night."
And with that said he waved his arm and the rowers brought a box,
So heavy it took both their strength and held tight with three locks.
He introduced himself as 'Captain Black' from somewhere far Down Under,
saying "Hurry up and make him well and you can keep me plunder!"
Well... Thinking that if he got much worse they'd all have me to thank,
I thought I'd get to work before they made me walk the plank.
My knees somehow found their strength and toward the boat, I shot,
And when I got there nearly barfed: these guys all smelled like rot.
I looked upon the man in pain and asked him where it hurt,
He pointed to his belly so I tore open his shirt.
With buttons flying all around all I could do was stare,
For there I saw a burly chest, with sauce spilled in his hair.
I turned my head to meet his eyes and asked him what he ate,
He said, "I ate me-self a swordfish just before I met this fate."
And was it cooked? I asked him thinking maybe it had spoiled,
"It wasn't!" came his harsh reply, "...though I had it nicely foiled!
When the seas got rough and the sail she ripped, the ship began to roll,
The captain barked, I didn't have time, so I had to eat it whole!"
My eyes as big as saucers I asked; "You ate it sword to tail?"
He gave a pain filled nod and said: "I washed it down with ale!"
I didn't know quite what to do as he winced and held his side,
But then I came up with a plan and said; "Now open wide."
He looked at me with wonder and a sly but toothless grin,
Then opened up his mouth so wide I stuck my hand right in!
I thrust my elbow past his teeth (the ones that were still there),
And kept on pushing downward up to my arm-pit hair.
I felt around the gooey mess and found a fin or two,
I think I felt a couple nails and what might have been a shoe!
Finally, I grabbed a hold of something long and thin,
I wrapped my fingers tightly as I braced against my shin.
I held my breath and pulled it up and gave it all my might,
It took a while to get it out, it was in there pretty tight!
Out came a giant swordfish sword all pointy, sharp and long,
And though I am no doctor I was sure it’s what was wrong.
The lad was feeling better and he belched to let us know,
I happened to be standing near; the smell was quite a blow.
The captain grabbed my shoulder and I turned to meet his gaze,
He said, "I think you've done it, lad, he'll live to see more days!"
He pointed to the box and said: "That treasure be all yours."
Then barked a couple orders and the men began their chores.
They turned their boat back to the sea and worked to make it ready,
And as the captain stepped inside they tried to hold it steady.
I interrupted as he climbed aboard and said “I can't take this;
All I did was help a man who had something amiss."
The captain drew his cutlass and he raised it to my face,
The others in the boat stood as though ready to give chase.
My knees again went rubbery and my heart began to pound,
The captain shouted harshly for me to "Kneel upon the ground!"
As I did he told me that I'd better know the code.
I stayed there on my knees and he sang to me this ode...?
A pirate is a nasty beast
We love to kick and fight.?
And to a pirate none the least
is winning makes it right.
But when a fellow pirate falls
we stop all that we do.
For when the pirate duty calls
to all for one, we’re true!
By pirate code, we all shall stand
to every mate, we lend a hand.
When finished he straightened up and touched his blade down on my right,
Then crossed over to my left as if to dub me as a knight.
He declared me a 'Pirate' and he swore this by his mother,
He said his men would fight for me as if I were their brother.
Then he told his men to row and they broke away from shore,
I watched them as they fought the waves each pulling with their oar.
They reached their ship and climbed aboard (the sick man on his own),
I thought about the unexpected kindness they had shown.
They pulled up anchor, set the sail and headed out to sea,
I waved to them as they disappeared and they waved back at me.
I turned to find my way back home and tripped over the box,
It was then that I noticed they had taken all the locks.
I grabbed the latch and flipped the lid; amazed at what I saw.
Golden coins and rubies red, my eyes were filled with awe.
The chest it was too heavy for my single frame to lift,
So I decided I would bury it to hide away my gift.
I dug a hole and pushed it in and made a plan to share,
I've gone to get it several times but I've forgotten where!
So if you're digging on the beach and find a box of treasure,
Filled with lots of shiny stuff with value beyond measure...
Grab a little out for you and save a few for me,
And throw a coin out to the waves for my friends out on the sea.
And that was the day I became a pirate.
The End.
© Cary Snowden 2018 | All Rights Reserved | Illustrations by Zach Clough
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