A TALL SHIP TALE
OUR BOAT WAS BLOWN WEST WARDLY
AGAINST THE SEA SHORE GRANITE ROCKS
THERE WE RESTED ON TENDER HOOKS
AS THE WATER ROSE
THE WIND DID BLOW AN AWFUL NOISE
THE SOUND OF DROWNING CATS
GIANT RATS DESCENDED FROM ALL QUARTERS
SMOTHERED IN BRANDY AND MARMALADE
AS OUR STOMACHS SWAYED
THE CAPTIAN LOOKED ON DISMAYED
EACH OF THE CREW GREW GREENER
THE COOK BECAME MEANER
WITH A LARGE GALLEY KNIFE - WE ALL BECAME LEANER
HIS WIFE WAS A DAB HAND AT MAKING PASTRY
AS OUR SHIP ROLLED--SO DID SHE
COVERED IN FLOUR THIS WAS NOT OUR FINEST HOUR
TO THE DECK WE FLEW---NAKED AS THE RAIN
OUR MINDS ENTANGLED AND INSANE
STRIPPED OF OUR DIGNITY
AN BATTALION OF SEAGULLS TOOK PITY ON US
PICKING OUR BODIES INTO LITTLE BITS
THE COOKS WIFE CAME TO OUR RESCUE
SWEEPING ALL INTO A LARGE COPPER DISH
SEASONED US WITH EXOTIC SPICE
WE WERE MARINATED IN ALE AND RED WINE
TWO WEEKS SLOWLY PASSED
OUR SOULS DECEASED
TOTALLY PICKLED --OUR SKIN A LIGHT SHADE OF BLUE
SUDDENLY THE STORM WENT EAST
UN-NERVING THE SKY AND THE SEA
BENEATH THE DECK WE GOT A REPRIEVE
NO LONGER DEAD
WE GOT LEAVE
MAKING IT TO SHORE
WE WERE GREETED BY THE ISLANDS PEOPLE
WITH OPEN ARMS AND HARPOONS
THE CHIEF OF THE TRIBE HAD JUST MARRIED HIS NINTH BRIDE
NOW THE TIDE WAS TURNING
AS THERE COOK BEGAN STIRRING
OUR INSIDES WERE BURNING
IN A LARGE POT WE RESIDED
NO DECISION HAD BEEN DECIDED
ANOTHER TWO WEEKS PASSED
WE LOOKED AT EACH OTHER NOT KNOWING IF THIS WOULD BE OUR LAST
SUDDENLY THE WIND CHANGED ONCE AGAIN
BLOWING A WICKED GALE
OUR SHIP TOOK SAIL
THE WIFE OF OUR COOK RELEASED THE ANCHOR
WE BEGAN TO DRIFT
TWO MORE WEEKS PASSED
NOW THIS A TALE--- YOU MAY NOT BELIEVE
AS I SIT BEFORE YOU
About this poem
COMPLETE TRUTH AND NONSENSE
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Written on April 27, 2023
Submitted by ryraynard on April 27, 2023
Modified on April 27, 2023
- 1:39 min read
- 2 Views
Quick analysis:
Scheme | AXX XXX XB BB CCC DDC EE DXX FXXX GHA HD IXI XAX X JJJ KK GG XAA CX G IF |
---|---|
Closest metre | Iambic tetrameter |
Characters | 2,060 |
Words | 331 |
Stanzas | 21 |
Stanza Lengths | 3, 3, 2, 2, 3, 3, 2, 3, 4, 3, 2, 3, 3, 1, 3, 2, 2, 3, 2, 1, 2 |
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"A TALL SHIP TALE" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 11 May 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/157772/a-tall-ship--tale>.
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