Sea poems

The Letitia Marie : by James Fagan

When walking out on the deck, the

water sprayed tall and wide as we 

navigated out to sea on a boat we 

called "Letitia Marie."

On open sea, the sails were ridged, 
where sailors had fallen from the 

masts; to their demise on the deck. 

Now only a few would climb up 

high, in storms that screamed from 

the sky, that blew the sea or tossed 

the boat. 

The cook in the galley cooked meat 

for the crew and mixed it with 

vegetables, making salmagundi and 

biscuits too. 

The 'Letitia Marie' reared and bucked

in the swells. Its bow went out of sight 

with each dive but returned when the 

stern went down. By night it was a 

terrible feeling for the old sea dogs and  

merchants on board who hoarded 

memories of treacherous seas.

When the sea was calm, some sailors 

climbed the ratlines, releasing the 

ropes that held the sails in tidy furls

It was then the master left his cabin 

to stand high above the lower decks, 

To look over towards the new 

proceedings. 

Then Fergus Torwick  walked the 

plank accused of thievery. His feet 

were cold and his face was white 

and his trousers were ripped and 

a terrible sight. 

His shirt was red and his bandana 

was striped. He was pushed down 

the plank in everyone's sight to fall

in the sea as fishes fodder.  

He sunk through swells, forty 

fathoms deep by the crabs and 

shells and slippery eels, where 

dead men tell no lies.

Some sailors played dice for grains
of rice or board games to kill time.

A stowaway scrubbed and caulked 

the deck. As he walked back and forward, 

he felt as proud as heck to be travelling

on a sailing ship.

The cook's mate emptied food slops 

over a rail on the port side of the 

ship where seabirds foraged hungrily.

Then the sails were trimmed to help the 

ship through a new maneuver and the 

jib and foresail back-winded to help 

blow the bow down wind. 

The boy in the crows nest stood in 

cold fetid shoes. Then shouted "pirates 

ahoy" as a caravel approached out of 

the fog displaying a Jolly Roger, flag

made out of a flower bag

Then all hands were called on deck, 

some threw grappling hooks out at 

the wreck, then jumped on board the 

pirate boat.

From the moment the fight began, the 

caravels hull planks were gouged  

by eight stolen guns on the sailing 

ship. Cannon balls continued blasting 

through clouds of dense smoke above 

the waterline.

Then Max Pip threw a boarding axe 

from his ship and held it steady

so sailors could board with cutlasses, 

muskets and knives. 

Rion Riddle swung a grappling iron 

into the rigging then swiveled across to 

land on the deck that was as slippery as 

the pirates on board. Each of the sailors 

used their weapons. Some lost the joy 

of life, leaving their varied epitaphs at 

sea. One sailor threw a powder flask 

and blow a hole in the caravel.

                      

Most of the pirates had several loaded 

pistols in their belts and wicked looking

sabers. The sailors mostly favoured 

cutlasses and all had knives. 

Dirty Sam Davies shot his musket and 

leveled sailor John Evans. Jo Smith 

fell overboard, and gyrated out of his 

boots before treading water. He was 

shot in the back and became submerged.                                                                                                                                                     

Muskets were shot on deck and were 

mostly used to batter enemies to death. 

Toby Jones had his brains bashed 

out. Cutlasses cut throats and pistols 

were shot by both sides at point blank 

range.

With a clatter of weapons and crisp

sharp sounds, and pistols exploding in 

the air, valuable souls from each side 

were lost, but soon the sailors where 

ahead with most of the pirates left dead. 

With the sailors having the upper hand 

they withdrew from the fight to return 

to land to swell their numbers with more 

fighting men

The grog locker was opened and the crew 

became inebriated on rum as they stood in 

the late afternoon sun, drinking in celebration.

                                                                           

                                                                           

And the ship was turned downwind and
veered round then rolled heavily as it

took on the elements with those on board 

losing their sea legs.

Then the sheets, braces and buntlines were

manned to catch a favorable breeze. And 

the ship  steered until she passed 

through a broad angle across  the neck 

of the deck. And the ship eventually began 

parting the waves with a healthy surging 

ease.

And the sailmakers became busy on deck,

repairing damaged sails and making new

ones. 

For every degree of latitude they passed,

warmer weather seeped into the ship. With 

observations calculated from yesterdays 

noon sun. They went on to see the lights 

of the town that stood by Nobleman's 

Dock. 

Some of the crew went into the inn to 

tell tails of being at sea. Ian Stevens 

drank so much plonk he started brawls 

with patrons of similar descent. He used  

his stool to even the odds by flattening 

men who ran about like drunken sods. 

Leveling each of them that got in the way, 

laying them flat on the publicans mat, 

while the shadows of night thickened.