The friends he’d made in town all thought he’d surely lost his head
“life at sea’s an easy way for slaves to wind up dead
slaves would rarely volunteer to work aboard a boat
a slave was always first to find a knife against their throat”
The boy was sure they’d only miss so good a friend as he
they’d miss his songs and stories while he sailed upon the sea
“I’ve survived enough and I’ll survive a little more,
and I’ll be back next year, so what is all your whining for”
The merchant hired a galley built as long as it was tall
strong enough to challenge every hurricane and squall
at least a hundred oarsmen, all with arms as thick as trees
and fifty hired soldiers put the merchant well at ease
The boy would join the other slaves in tending to the ship
cleaning lower decks, and moving cargo through the trip
the ship set sail to bring the merchant’s business to new shores
sails full of wind and manly power in its oars
Excited as the boy was, he adapted rather quick
his stomach lurched with every wave, but never once was sick
he worked as hard as anyone, despite his lack of skill
his eyes were wide and hopeful and his hands were never still
About a month of sailing passed without much trouble made
the ship then landed at a port to do a little trade
the boy was quick to move the cargo as he looked around
for he had missed the city and his feet had missed the ground
The merchant soon was satisfied and once again set sail
but in that time the boy had heard an interesting tale
at the foreign port where many stories could be heard
he heard an epic rumour and he clung to every word
according to an older sailor, who was now retired
not long ago at sea, an epic battle had transpired
The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
pirates, foolish as they are, attacked a royal fleet
and at the hands of one brave hero, all had met defeat
A hero to defeat the pirates with his bravery
risking his own life to let his king and queen go free
surviving only by his will and by his magic sword
who can here imagine what would be his just reward
The boy returned to sailing with that story in his heart
as he worked he wished that such adventures soon would start
he’d tell the story every night to friends among the crew
and as the scale of the story grew, his audience did too
The shipmates all enjoyed the slave’s extraordinary tale
the boy’s imagination entertained them without fail
with every port they passed through, his story grew more bold
and so did he, with ever time the story was retold
Never had he been so full of epic tales and dreams
his heart so full of optimism bursting at the seams
half a year at sea had seen him grow up strong and tall
he knew that he’d be ready when adventure came to call
With time to spare the boy sought out a soldier who was bored
who happily agreed to teach the boy to hold a sword
the soldier was impressed because the boy was quick to train
he suffered through his injuries, and didn’t yield to pain
The voyage thus continued as the merchant did his trade
but there was still an ocean full of fortunes to be made
when a year had come and gone the merchant came to say
“if you all agree to stay aboard, I’ll surely pay”
Everyone would earn a share of what he had in store
every slave and oarsmen could buy freedom, land, and more
and so the ship was laden with unprecedented wealth
the weather ever kind, and every crewman in good health
With spirits high the voyage had become a pleasure cruise
but on one cloudy day the lookout brought them dreadful news
a ship was fast approaching with its sails all coloured black
within an hour a pirate ship was likely to attack
Laden down with gold the galley slowly came about
with no chance of outrunning them, the merchant’s luck ran out
the captain ordered every man to take up sword and shield
so much gold at stake meant they were not allowed to yield
The boy was slow to understand the panic of the crew
for if the pirates came aboard, he knew just what to do
before too long they were in range to cast their lines and hooks
and soon the boy would see what he had never read in books
The hired soldiers in their armour led the ship’s defense
the merchant always hired the best and never spared expense
so the boy was shocked to see the deck fill up with blood
as pirates swept through soldiers like an overwhelming flood
The boy took up a sword as heroes often did in song
put wondered if he’d heard the words recited to him wrong
pirates were supposed to be the wretched and the weak
the bandits now before him made his soldier friends look meek
Too confused to reconsider jumping in to fight
the boy could only disregard the carnage in his sight
stepping over all the lifeless bodies of his friends
he focused on the way a hero’s story always ends
He’d find the strength to swing his sword until the pirates fled
if they didn’t run, then every pirate would be dead
so he charged a group of pirates tired from the attack
then he stumbled to the ground, and everything turned black
~