‘Twas a dour and chill morn
As the sails poured forth,
A snake-like form sliding through the waters
And chills run through the crew.
‘Avast! Be hearty!’ The captain spurs them on,
My lines are taught
And the breeze fills my sails fully
As the ship’s bell tolls alarm.
Slipping from their slimy embrace
My hull surges from the monster’s grasp,
My keep escapes a snatch!
Our course runs true to the wind.
Past the wooden decks
No soul there may be
Betwixt cruel titan and distant shore,
None may proffer aid.
Suddenly, towering above mainmast,
A feverish form soars!
Dark and glistening and sinister
It lashes toward the topsails!
‘Tack starboard, make haste!’
The captain hauls at the wheel,
The crew heaves at the lines,
We careen from its grasp.
The gleaming appendage flies by
Glancing the stern and spraying white
As it plummets into the waves.
We attempt escape!