It’s a pirate’s flag they see as they raise their guns in fear
But the Dutch flute “Concord” with it booty in berth was just too big a prize
“Board me new ship all ye scallywags and spare none,
For I’m Teach, I’m cap’t, I’m Blackbeard.
Hear me name and tremble
For t’is truly a named to be feared
With the old crew adrift, she took on her new maiden name.
The skipper, with his beard and brawn, looked up at the free and fairing winds.
“Aweigh the anchor me lads and taste that salty sea.
Avast ye sobbin for our noble dead. T’is a day of days.
We have taken a sturdy ship, sound for the rain and gale
So drink and be hearty, for tonight we sail.
Black is that heart and with a beard to match he turns and hear a young bark
“Cap’n, the sloops be slower with that backwind
Perhaps they should be settin our pace.”
The greenhorn he drew back, cringing under that dead man like grin.
“Aye, so get me the Charley Noble ye daft kid
Or o’er the plank I shall thee rid.”
With the mast taught and strong
The man tend the halyard and pull
“To Topsail Inlet we sail
Hoist the stunsail and jib sail to port
And ahead full. So men, look aft
And bid goodbyes those adrift in that puny raft.
With the sails full and the skipper drunk
The crew drinks their fills and shakes their legs
“T’is truly a day of days with Blackbeard at helm
It be gold we sail for on this ship, not a Charley Noble ye daft twit”
With a laughing crew, and greenhorn now red
He new chap he was, but now by his own blade, with respect he bled.
A pirate’s code, blood brothers in this brimmed berth
But Blackbeard he wakes. Ne’er a good sign.
“Who disturbs me slumber? His neck I shall stretch.
Asleep I was ye swine, but now a fight I brew
All ye gollywogs and ladies men be still
Or run ye through I will.”
A quiet crew now sleeps
A skipper now sleeps
And the sternpost man passes in the night
The French seek revenge for a dead crew
And a ship that ran asea
“Que pense t’ill, qu’on va accepter un defie”
Do they think the French accept defeat with ease?
.
The Sinking of the Queen Ann’s Revenge Part 1
I hope its good. I did some research on old sailer talk. If there is something you don’t understand, please feel free to ask. This is my first one, so it might be a little rough around the edges. Anybody with better sailing knowledge then me please, feel free to help. This is a work in progress
Natella2020, 9 months ago
Very Clever, but somewhat difficult to understand for us normal lads and lasses.
Raymond Carle, 9 months ago
Ok. I guess I need to pull out the dictionary.
Skipper – captain
Aweigh the anchor – lift the anchor
Avast – stop
Sloops – smaller of the tall ship that are led by the captains barge
Charley Noble – It’s like the left handed screwdriver. It doesn’t exist
Halyard – rope that holds the sail
Stunsail – top sail on the highest point on the mast
Jib – largest sail
Ocracoke – where Blackbeard fell and was killed
gollywog – type of doll, like raggedy ann
sternpost – mast for a sail
Hope that helps
Natella2020, 9 months ago
Thanks for the dictionary, it was a big help.
The poem is great. I especially loved your description of Blackbeard:
Black is that heart and with a beard to match…
As well as the following:
With a laughing crew, and greenhorn now red
He was anew, “but now with a blade and respect he bled.”
It’s very fun.
Estelle O'Brien, 7 months ago
Brilliant…I loved it.