The Pirates

By Jack Luecke

The lonely watchman

Sat atop

The lush and full green grass

Waiting for the day she

Would return

To him at last.

It was three years ago

To the day

That she had been taken from him.

He had some hope that

She’d come back

But now that hope was dim.

The had been sitting together

That fateful night

That she was taken away

But all conversation abruptly

Stopped

When he saw a ship upon the bay.

To most it was a normal ship

That sailed

The ocean blue

But when he saw it

He knew

What it was there to do.

There was no jolly roger

That flew

Upon it’s mast,

But the knew the moment he

Saw the ship

The pirates had come for him at last.

He and his woman

Tried to run

But to no avail

The pirates had been advancing

Even before

He saw their sail.

The pirates were quickly gaining

Now

And with one little shove

They timed him up

And gagged him

And took away his love.

The pirates should have

Taken him

But they quickly changed their mind

When they saw the lovely

Maiden fair

So beautiful and kind.

After they bound and gagged her love

And left him there to die

The pirate captain took

The girl

And let out an orderly cry.

“Avast me hearties

To the ship

Our job here is done.

Our old foe can’t live

Without her.

Alas, then, we have won.”

The pirates walked back

To the ship,

The maiden in their hand

She tried to get away

Four times

Even before they reached the sand.

The pirate captain turned

To her

And held her by the head.

“Attempt to escape one more time

And

You will end up dead.”

She stopped her fussing

Then and there

And let them lead her away.

And since she complained

No more

The captain had not much else to say.

The captain spouted

“Cast off”

To his faithful crew.

They didn’t need to

Be told

What they had to do.

By this time the harbor was empty

And no one

Was in sight.

So they weighed anchor

And cast sail

And sailed into the night