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A Short Life and A Merry One
- A Short Life and A Merry One -
A.k.a. Pirates of the High Seas
A harbor town upon the coast, there to see…
We arrived, a rough and ready old company.
A galleon was ours, docked out in the bay…
And so we set sail on some fair summer day.
The sands were white, and the sky was blue,
When we set sail, all brave lads for our crew.
And I, the captain, did give voice to set sail…
As we went seeking our fortune, ne’er to fail!
Upon the waters of the hot Caribbean clime,
Where lay treasure untouched for all of time.
So drink up, me hearties, and toast the wind!
That the Devil himself, may our sails send…
Fast around Port Royal and beyond the isles,
Where gold awaits our coffers and our wiles!
Drink up, me hearties, and sing a merry song,
For soon we’ll be rich men as we sail along!
Sing loudly, lads, as we round the shoals,
And pray the navigator has not hit the rum!
Or we’ll sink like soil before digging moles,
And we’ll pay the piper before we’ve begun!
We ventured along upon clear crystal waves,
Our hearts with the wind that blew for days…
Filling the sails of a galleon as bore us hither,
Amidst the muggiest air and tropical weather.
We found plunder aplenty in Spanish waters,
Taking gold, and oft some lovely daughters!
Pirates were we, mostly hated and oft feared,
As blood ran before us, wherever we steered.
Many a storm we did survive and battles aye,
Whilst on the high seas, our trade we did ply!
And down where old Cortez did lay his boot,
We found lost Aztec gold, to add to our loot.
And though they say curse is on such things,
For a time we lived like princes, and kings…
But gold runs out quick in a pirate’s fast life!
And if you do not protect it, there’ll be strife.
Sing loudly, lads, as we round the coasts,
Let our enemies fear the sound of our voice!
And pray that we do not become lost ghosts,
For there be crueler fates than fall by choice!
So upon an isle uncharted and with no name,
I decided to bury some treasure for later gain.
Ten lads came with me down a jungle’s cave,
And, though these lads were true and brave…
Digging for hours through the dirt in the dark,
Secrets must be protected, and so I did hark…
Heeding the code of pirates who came before.
Ten pistols to shoot and they’ll dig no more…
But first I let them finish burying all the gold,
And then I let fire, as they fell dead and cold.
Not a one expected the plan fate had in mind,
But the fate of a pirate is rarely ever too kind!
I drew a map in secret to mark hidden trails…
That led to the old cave, as full were our sails.
The crew knew too well what befell the men,
Who had walked with me, to meet their ends!
Sing loudly, lads, as we round the shallows,
And mark well the charts that do lead us afar!
You are a bold lot, a brotherhood of fellows,
Who’d plunder the heavens, even every star!
A short life and a merry one, a pirate’s life be,
You can sail to the horizon, if you stay free…
But a noose awaits those who sail back home,
So find good harbors, watch where you roam.
Drink up, me hearties, before we reach land…
There be: pieces of eight aplenty in each hand!
And when they come to take what we’ve won,
We’ll plunder them again, and have our fun…
So drink up, me hearties, to toast Davy Jones,
We’ve left buried gold, with ten men’s bones!
The lasses in Port Royal will remember us all.
We’ll put coin in each bosom, when we call…
Now hoist the Jolly Roger, man well the guns,
They’ll call us red devils and murdering Huns.
But we’ll live on in the legends as yet unsung,
If we can remain free and ours necks not hung!
Sing loudly, lads, as we round the high waves,
None can stand before us, as luck is our guide!
We’ll send all our foes unto the watery graves,
Fit for scoundrels like us, who there will abide.
A.k.a. Pirates of the High Seas
A harbor town upon the coast, there to see…
We arrived, a rough and ready old company.
A galleon was ours, docked out in the bay…
And so we set sail on some fair summer day.
The sands were white, and the sky was blue,
When we set sail, all brave lads for our crew.
And I, the captain, did give voice to set sail…
As we went seeking our fortune, ne’er to fail!
Upon the waters of the hot Caribbean clime,
Where lay treasure untouched for all of time.
So drink up, me hearties, and toast the wind!
That the Devil himself, may our sails send…
Fast around Port Royal and beyond the isles,
Where gold awaits our coffers and our wiles!
Drink up, me hearties, and sing a merry song,
For soon we’ll be rich men as we sail along!
Sing loudly, lads, as we round the shoals,
And pray the navigator has not hit the rum!
Or we’ll sink like soil before digging moles,
And we’ll pay the piper before we’ve begun!
We ventured along upon clear crystal waves,
Our hearts with the wind that blew for days…
Filling the sails of a galleon as bore us hither,
Amidst the muggiest air and tropical weather.
We found plunder aplenty in Spanish waters,
Taking gold, and oft some lovely daughters!
Pirates were we, mostly hated and oft feared,
As blood ran before us, wherever we steered.
Many a storm we did survive and battles aye,
Whilst on the high seas, our trade we did ply!
And down where old Cortez did lay his boot,
We found lost Aztec gold, to add to our loot.
And though they say curse is on such things,
For a time we lived like princes, and kings…
But gold runs out quick in a pirate’s fast life!
And if you do not protect it, there’ll be strife.
Sing loudly, lads, as we round the coasts,
Let our enemies fear the sound of our voice!
And pray that we do not become lost ghosts,
For there be crueler fates than fall by choice!
So upon an isle uncharted and with no name,
I decided to bury some treasure for later gain.
Ten lads came with me down a jungle’s cave,
And, though these lads were true and brave…
Digging for hours through the dirt in the dark,
Secrets must be protected, and so I did hark…
Heeding the code of pirates who came before.
Ten pistols to shoot and they’ll dig no more…
But first I let them finish burying all the gold,
And then I let fire, as they fell dead and cold.
Not a one expected the plan fate had in mind,
But the fate of a pirate is rarely ever too kind!
I drew a map in secret to mark hidden trails…
That led to the old cave, as full were our sails.
The crew knew too well what befell the men,
Who had walked with me, to meet their ends!
Sing loudly, lads, as we round the shallows,
And mark well the charts that do lead us afar!
You are a bold lot, a brotherhood of fellows,
Who’d plunder the heavens, even every star!
A short life and a merry one, a pirate’s life be,
You can sail to the horizon, if you stay free…
But a noose awaits those who sail back home,
So find good harbors, watch where you roam.
Drink up, me hearties, before we reach land…
There be: pieces of eight aplenty in each hand!
And when they come to take what we’ve won,
We’ll plunder them again, and have our fun…
So drink up, me hearties, to toast Davy Jones,
We’ve left buried gold, with ten men’s bones!
The lasses in Port Royal will remember us all.
We’ll put coin in each bosom, when we call…
Now hoist the Jolly Roger, man well the guns,
They’ll call us red devils and murdering Huns.
But we’ll live on in the legends as yet unsung,
If we can remain free and ours necks not hung!
Sing loudly, lads, as we round the high waves,
None can stand before us, as luck is our guide!
We’ll send all our foes unto the watery graves,
Fit for scoundrels like us, who there will abide.
Published 18th Feb 2019
Author's Note
This poem of mine is one in a series of Pirate-themed poetry that I wrote years ago, filled with all of the usual power and passion of my various other writings. Some of these are fictional, and some are not.
All writing remains the property of the author. Don't use it for any purpose without their permission.
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Anonymous
- Edited 27th Dec 2019 12:45pm
18th Feb 2019 3:19pm
<< post removed >>
23rd Feb 2019 2:06am
I am deeply pleased to see that you enjoyed giving my poem a read, my dear, dear friend! The topic is one that has always been quite near and dear to my heart... I first wrote this series years ago, when I had uploaded these poems to Starlite Cafe. I had always meant to finally get them put up here on Deep Underground, but until recently I never quite could find the right time to do so. Luckily, I was able to at last, and so... here they are. :)
