Pirate Letter Poem by Bryan Norton

Hello my dear Father and Mother
From your distant but still loving son
I am pleased that you're reading this letter
And for all the good deeds you have done

In my head I keep hearing your voices
And the way that I sleep is not well
I can still see the tears on your faces
Which you cried in a bitter farewell

How is Jimmy my dear younger brother?
Is he happy or angry with me?
Does he work on the dock with his Daddy?
And come home every night when he's free?

How is Sally my sweet baby sister?
She was only a wee bitty lass
Has she grown up to be like a missy?
With a tongue full of hissy and sass

My dear mother I'm sorry I hurt you
But the call of the sea is to blame
And the tales of booty and glory
Which are treasures of pirate ship fame

My dear father we spoke of the future
And the work that you do every day
And the chance that we might be together
As a team on the dock of the bay

But the ships that are coming are going
And the world is a much bigger place
Than the small fishing village we live in
And the weariness etched in your face

Please forgive me for making you angry
And for everything bad I have done
But the sea is for starboard adventure
And for winning the gold in the sun

Will you please tell my brother I love him
And the same to my darling young sis
I still think of our childhood adventures
And of all the good times that I miss

My dear parents if you will accept me
I would like to come back for a day
To the home of my childhood Christmas
And the land of my feeling this way

But my ship will be gone the day after
And my heart will be heaving with pain
For I know that my sorrow in parting
Will exceed all my notions of gain

But the ocean is my wedded lady
And to her I must always be true
Though I feast on her beauty and wonder
Still my dreaming is always of you.