Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, CAPTAIN KIDD, by T. B. HUNT



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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

CAPTAIN KIDD, by                    
First Line: A buccaneer, a bad man
Last Line: "I'd knife ye!"" and I would."
Subject(s): Boats; Racism; Sea; Racial Prejudice; Bigotry; Ocean


A buccaneer, a bad man,
A pirate man I be,
Who curses before breakfast
And chanteys before tea.

A tall ship, a square ship,
A rakish ship for mine,
With blood in her lee scuppers
And decks all white with brine.

With tall spars, with black spars,
And masts as black as teak;
With dirty sails and splintered rails,
The Roger at the peak.

A wicked crew, an ugly crew,
A crew of evil mien,
Who carry dirks and cutlasses
And pistols stuck atween.

A wild sea, a hollow sea.
Up solid to the truck;
With murdered niggers in the hold
And one strung up for luck.

A wet night, a black night,
Rebellion and red rum.
The galley-boy half crazy.
The wheel watch drunken numb.

A drunken crew, a fighting crew,
Roaring a bloody yell,
"I'll slit you through your undershirt
And send your soul to hell!"

"I'm Captain of this outfit:
I'll scuttle the whole damn brood.
For a Bible or a jug of rum
I'd knife ye!" And I would.





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