The Pirate And The White Rose Poem by Gus BravoRey

Avast ye, Lassie, come hear me sad, sad tale:

Sailed the Man-O-War, sailed the seven seas,
Searching for booty and wenches,
For pieces of eight to shower upon me.

After weeks on warm waters off Hispaniola,
Captain navigated to the port of St. Croix,
Where we planned to hornswaggle the locals,
Aye, take from men, women, each girl and boy.

Captain said, "Drop anchor, off you go scurvy dogs! "
"Blimey! Shore leave, me hearties", the old salt said.
We scurried off, stumbling like landlubbers in our haste,
With visions of doubloons dancing ‘round in me head.

But, before business there must always be pleasure
So, straight to the Cheatin' Mistress Tavern we did go,
Grabbed the grog wenches, ordered arrack by the trough.
Looked for other wenches, too - AYE! Looked to and fro.

I sat there, in the dim light, with me fellow buccaneers,
Spinning our tall, tall tales, me cutlass close at hand,
When, out of the corner of me eye I caught his gloom,
This bilge-sucking worst example of man!

We locked on each other; batten down the hatches,
The storm was coming in strong, coming in fast!
Our swords joined together, our gazes did too,
In his eyes, the dark reflection of me heartbreak past.

His name be Roderick Thatch, shark bait to be sure,
We first met moons ago, in lands far, far away,
When together we saw her for the first time.
We vied for her hand; he won, much to me dismay.

Her name I leave to Thatch, to me she was the "White Rose",
Of unsurpassed beauty, kindness, grace and charm.
Aye, tried me best to show her me colors true,
But, Thatch, the scallywag, ‘or time, only done her harm.

Me memory of her, sometimes blurred, sometimes clear,
But ‘tis no doubt she was a wonder beyond measure.
And, of all the booty, all the rest the world could give,
Avast ye! To me she was the only true treasure!

Now, all is lost to me, only Thatch's breath on me tongue.
Around the room stood the buckos and the privateers,
Exhorting bloodshed, the room three sheets to the wind,
Time now to settle accounts, after all these many years.





The battle began, and continued ‘till it was silent and done,
I gathered me-self up and looked down on Thatch one last time,
Staggered towards the door, past the grog laden wenches,
Stood outside, and gathered all me strength that I could find.

And looked yonder, across the bay, towards the harbor
Shrouded now, in light mist, coming in waves in from the sea.
Anchored there was the Governor's schooner, "The Pierced Heart"
Looking at it, Blimy! , He thought, surely a way to set me-self free

The "White Rose" was 600 leagues NW, in the Greater Antilles,
A three week journey, through rough seas, thought he,
Then, suddenly, a mad pirate coming to his senses, the realization set in:
It was Roderick Thatch that was always in her heart, not me.

Wearily, looking up I saw La Luna Bella, the beautiful full moon,
And, in her embrace there, I saw too, she who held firm my soul.
But, knowing me destiny was only to plunder, scuttle and pillage,
Shed a tear, and said good-bye to me love, the "White Rose."