The Pirate Boy
The year was 1832,
That year the merchant ship,
Set abroad the ocean blue.
The English crewman worked hard,
Wanting to earn fair pay,
Though at night they slipped away and gambled over cards.
The captain of the ship was firm and fair,
And had brought his daughter along,
With violet eyes and ringlets of dark brown hair.
She walked the ship with poise and grace
Helping to tend to the crew,
All with a smile spread across her face.
Her bell-like laughter made everything feel light,
But the crew did not know of the pirate ship,
That grew closer by the gloomy night.
The pirate captain grew giddy with glee,
For this fine merchant ship was a grand prize,
But the sight of the pirate flag was not what the merchant ship wanted to see.
The pirate captain told his men and boys to ready,
They were going on a raid,
But for now they had to hold steady.
It was the captain’s daughter, who saw the ship first that night,
She had been sitting by the foreyard with sewing needle in hand,
And the ship lurking in the shadows had given her a fright.
“Oh father, do come quickly, a pirate ship is approaching,” she cried.
The crew stood steady with weapons in their hands,
Walking with hurried steps, for the captain’s daughter never lied.
The pirate ship grew near,
“To your battle stations,” the startled captain barked,
And as for his daughter, her emotion was far from fear.
Before she could move, her father pulled her away,
“It is not safe for you out here,” he said,
And it was the galley where she was to stay.
He led her across the deck and down the wooden stairs,
Through the dim lit hallways,
And pass the ships wares.
Despite her protests, he managed to hide her away from sight,
Behind some empty crates,
“My dear- let God keep you hidden tonight.”
Swords hit and pistols shot,
But the captain’s daughter stayed hidden,
Though in her stomach grew a knot.
She couldn’t take it any longer,
From her hiding place she leapt,
She ran for the door, but its wood was stronger.
Her body was numb from the blow of frustration,
But she wouldn’t give in,
Her heart pounded with anticipation.
Footsteps trickled down the stairs,
The door flew open and standing there,
Was a pirate boy staring at the captain’s daughter, with her violet eyes and ringlets of long dark hair.
He had sandy locks of hair,
Eyes as green as jade,
His clothes were worn with wear.
He was no more than a year older than she,
He stood shocked and guarded the door,
There was no chance for her to flee.
Her eyes grew wide with fear,
Her breath grew sharp and tense,
She was scared that Death may be near.
The galley was close and tight,
Yet the pirate boy came closer,
His gentle features jumped out in the dim light.
“Whot’s a lass like you doin’ on a guv’nahs ship at sea?” he asked curiously,
She backed up to the counter, placing a dagger in her hand,
She set and stern face and replied “, traveling with my father. Now move and let me free.”
She felt the rough dagger in her hand,
Though he did not move,
The only thing he did was stare and stand.
He eyed her up and down,
“Whot can you offer me,” he asked.
She wanted to be free“, this ruby ring. I got it when I was last in town.”
He took the ring from her outstretched hand,
Twirled it in his fingers,
And let it slip between his fingers like sand.
“It is not the ring off your finger I want love,
But it is something you can give me,
Even if you are on the ship of the guv’.”
He stepped forward and with gentle hands, cupped her face,
Pulled her to him and brought their lips together,
And she was stuck in his embrace.
But the captain’s daughter didn’t understand,
She feels breathless until she finds her voice,
“Why take a kiss but not my life,” she demands.
He took her hand in his own,
And on it he placed a light kiss,
Sending a jolt through to her every bone.
Her lips felt heavy and swollen,
“You and I shall never see each other again,” she states.
But she already knows her heart has been stolen.
Tears of daze prick at her eyes,
She reins them back,
She does not know why she cries.
The war above still raged on,
He smiled and his green eyes sparkled,
And in that moment he turned around and was gone.
She followed his path up the stairs,
But they opened up to a worn battlefield covered in the bodies of the crewman,
With fresh tears welling in her eyes she gave her silent prayers.
She ran to the rail only to see the pirate boy climbing aboard the pirate’s ship,
He turned and looked her way with that sparkle in his eye,
Then her father’s voice sounded like a whip.
“Darling, now hurry onto our lifeboat,” he called from below.
She turned away from the pirate boy and climbed down to the boat,
The crewmen saw her safely in and began to row.
She turned back to see the pirate boy as he was before,
“Get back on the boat lad or we leave without ya!”
She heard the pirate captain roar.
A wave of emotion,
Passes through her with a sting,
As he gave her a saluting motion.
He had left his kiss as a token,
Through the very lips that had touched her own,
And now her heart was broken.
With a turn he was gone,
And she could only stare ahead,
At the rising sun of dawn.
That year the merchant ship,
Set abroad the ocean blue.
The English crewman worked hard,
Wanting to earn fair pay,
Though at night they slipped away and gambled over cards.
The captain of the ship was firm and fair,
And had brought his daughter along,
With violet eyes and ringlets of dark brown hair.
She walked the ship with poise and grace
Helping to tend to the crew,
All with a smile spread across her face.
Her bell-like laughter made everything feel light,
But the crew did not know of the pirate ship,
That grew closer by the gloomy night.
The pirate captain grew giddy with glee,
For this fine merchant ship was a grand prize,
But the sight of the pirate flag was not what the merchant ship wanted to see.
The pirate captain told his men and boys to ready,
They were going on a raid,
But for now they had to hold steady.
It was the captain’s daughter, who saw the ship first that night,
She had been sitting by the foreyard with sewing needle in hand,
And the ship lurking in the shadows had given her a fright.
“Oh father, do come quickly, a pirate ship is approaching,” she cried.
The crew stood steady with weapons in their hands,
Walking with hurried steps, for the captain’s daughter never lied.
The pirate ship grew near,
“To your battle stations,” the startled captain barked,
And as for his daughter, her emotion was far from fear.
Before she could move, her father pulled her away,
“It is not safe for you out here,” he said,
And it was the galley where she was to stay.
He led her across the deck and down the wooden stairs,
Through the dim lit hallways,
And pass the ships wares.
Despite her protests, he managed to hide her away from sight,
Behind some empty crates,
“My dear- let God keep you hidden tonight.”
Swords hit and pistols shot,
But the captain’s daughter stayed hidden,
Though in her stomach grew a knot.
She couldn’t take it any longer,
From her hiding place she leapt,
She ran for the door, but its wood was stronger.
Her body was numb from the blow of frustration,
But she wouldn’t give in,
Her heart pounded with anticipation.
Footsteps trickled down the stairs,
The door flew open and standing there,
Was a pirate boy staring at the captain’s daughter, with her violet eyes and ringlets of long dark hair.
He had sandy locks of hair,
Eyes as green as jade,
His clothes were worn with wear.
He was no more than a year older than she,
He stood shocked and guarded the door,
There was no chance for her to flee.
Her eyes grew wide with fear,
Her breath grew sharp and tense,
She was scared that Death may be near.
The galley was close and tight,
Yet the pirate boy came closer,
His gentle features jumped out in the dim light.
“Whot’s a lass like you doin’ on a guv’nahs ship at sea?” he asked curiously,
She backed up to the counter, placing a dagger in her hand,
She set and stern face and replied “, traveling with my father. Now move and let me free.”
She felt the rough dagger in her hand,
Though he did not move,
The only thing he did was stare and stand.
He eyed her up and down,
“Whot can you offer me,” he asked.
She wanted to be free“, this ruby ring. I got it when I was last in town.”
He took the ring from her outstretched hand,
Twirled it in his fingers,
And let it slip between his fingers like sand.
“It is not the ring off your finger I want love,
But it is something you can give me,
Even if you are on the ship of the guv’.”
He stepped forward and with gentle hands, cupped her face,
Pulled her to him and brought their lips together,
And she was stuck in his embrace.
But the captain’s daughter didn’t understand,
She feels breathless until she finds her voice,
“Why take a kiss but not my life,” she demands.
He took her hand in his own,
And on it he placed a light kiss,
Sending a jolt through to her every bone.
Her lips felt heavy and swollen,
“You and I shall never see each other again,” she states.
But she already knows her heart has been stolen.
Tears of daze prick at her eyes,
She reins them back,
She does not know why she cries.
The war above still raged on,
He smiled and his green eyes sparkled,
And in that moment he turned around and was gone.
She followed his path up the stairs,
But they opened up to a worn battlefield covered in the bodies of the crewman,
With fresh tears welling in her eyes she gave her silent prayers.
She ran to the rail only to see the pirate boy climbing aboard the pirate’s ship,
He turned and looked her way with that sparkle in his eye,
Then her father’s voice sounded like a whip.
“Darling, now hurry onto our lifeboat,” he called from below.
She turned away from the pirate boy and climbed down to the boat,
The crewmen saw her safely in and began to row.
She turned back to see the pirate boy as he was before,
“Get back on the boat lad or we leave without ya!”
She heard the pirate captain roar.
A wave of emotion,
Passes through her with a sting,
As he gave her a saluting motion.
He had left his kiss as a token,
Through the very lips that had touched her own,
And now her heart was broken.
With a turn he was gone,
And she could only stare ahead,
At the rising sun of dawn.