The Jolly Roger

Paul Marauder 1962 (Belfast)



On board the Jolly Roger
the fickle crew
listen to their fickle captain
as he speaks
with his fickle tongue.

Spitting blame and phlegm
on everyone
and everything
His capricious manner
destroys any harmony
amongst the crew.

For the Jolly to exist
it must navigate
in troubled waters.
And for the crew to survive
they must drown
everyday in the misery
and acrimony of
their egomaniacal captain.

I'm on board another ship
now called the Enterprise.
We sail on calmer waters.
Guided by knowledge, empathy
and brotherhood
and a love for the sea.

Now and again I see the Jolly Roger
but I no longer
recognise the crew.
The sound of raucous laughter
is still there
 but has now diminished.

I see the captain.
He walks with a limp now.
He wears a patch over his
 left eye.
His faithful malevolent pet
is by his side
still snapping at heels.

A young man walks the plank.
The fickle crew point,
laugh and push him
to the edge.

I wake in a cold sweat
and smile.......

About this poem

This poem is about bullying in the work place. It’s set on board a ship but it could be anywhere.

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Written on January 06, 2023

Submitted by pauljoe77 on February 20, 2023

Modified by pauljoe77 on July 12, 2023

1:06 min read
173

Quick analysis:

Scheme ABCXX XCXADB XXEXXDXC XXEDXD AABAXX CXXXFXX XXXX FX
Closest metre Iambic trimeter
Characters 993
Words 220
Stanzas 8
Stanza Lengths 5, 6, 8, 6, 6, 7, 4, 2

Paul Marauder

I’m a singer song writer. I have my own YouTube channel and fb page called Muriel’s Marauders. I love writing and drawing. I haven’t even tried to get anything published but I’m thinking of it. more…

All Paul Marauder poems | Paul Marauder Books

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    "The Jolly Roger" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 19 Mar. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/152005/the-jolly-roger>.

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