(@3Pirates were really mere sea sneak thieves whose usual loot consisted of nothing more than grain and other foodstuffs@1—SIR BASIL THOMPSON) Oh, Captain Kidd was a pirate bold Who sailed the roaring seas. On many a trip he scuttled a ship For the sake of a peck of peas. With his Pirate Horde a ship he'd board And battle from stem to poop For some garden stuff and some canned plum duff And a gallon or two of soup. Old Blackbeard, too, with his evil crew, All scoundrels of bloody ilk, Would fight, perhaps, for a cask of schnapps Or a cargo of malted milk. They were steeped in crimes, and at various times They battled in manner rash For a mess of greens and some Boston beans And a dinner of corned beef hash. They would fight a fleet for some deviled meat Or some real blackberry jam, And die for the sake of a chocolate cake Or a slice of cold boiled ham. So the treasure hid by Captain Kidd Or any old pirate bold, Would prove, no doubt, if you traced it out, To lack any sign of gold; And when you'd dug like a doodle bug Led on by the pirate's plans, You'd find alas! some figs in glass And a lot of sardine cans. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...ON SOMETHING THAT WALKS SOMEWHERE by BEN JONSON CAPTAIN CARPENTER by JOHN CROWE RANSOM TIMID THINGS by JOHN HAMPTON ATKINSON A CURLEW'S CALL by JANE BARLOW TO CHILDREN: 4. THE FAIRY REALM by WILLIAM ROSE BENET INTRUSION by MAXWELL BODENHEIM THE SHEPHERD'S SONG: A CAROL OR HYMN FOR CHRISTMAS by EDMUND BOLTON |