⏳NaPoWriMo 🫖April 🌱2023🌺Day 10

#NaPoWriMo #April #2023

Today’s daily prompt (optional, as always) again comes from our archives. I’m playing to my own strengths here, but I challenge you to write a sea shanty (or shantey, or chanty, or chantey — there’s a good deal of disagreement regarding the spelling!) Anyway, these are poems in the forms of songs, strongly rhymed and rhythmic, that sailors might sing while hauling on ropes and performing other sea-going labors. Probably the two most famous sea shanties (at least before TikTok gave us The Wellerman) are What Shall We Do With A Drunken Sailor? and Blow the Man Down. And what should your poem be about? Well, I suppose it could be about anything, although some nautical phrases tossed into the chorus would be good for keeping the sea in your shanty. Haul away, boys, haul away!

Happy writing!

❤️This took some time to write and rewrite, but I have to admit I enjoyed it in the end! ❤️

Plymouth Sea Shanty

In Plymouth town we do abound 
drinking rum and dancing a jig
with pretty girls we run around 
so drunk, we don't give a fig 

*Chorus*
Oh to be at sea, my boys
With the wind in our faces 
Working hard, shouting ahoys!
No more kicking over the traces.

We're up on deck, looking for fish 
those shiny shoals swimming free 
Will look mighty fine on a dish 
Fit enough, for our, Mistress Lee* 

*Chorus*

Captain scans with his eyeglass 
Lad in crows' nest keeps his eyes peeled
the boys swabbing decks, lost their sass 
Just hoping for a damned good yield.

*Chorus*

Crows' nest lad, points to  starboard side
and gives a loud and hearty shout 
shoals of fish, a real good horde 
nets dropped as they come about 

"Chorus" 

A boat of fish, full to the gunnels 
we head home to Plymouth Sound
then, avoiding the runnels     
make for harbour, mustn't run aground 

*Chorus*

In Plymouth town we'll have money 
drinking rum, swilling jugs of beer 
we may get drunk but we'll be sunny 
but when it's gone, we're out of here 

*Chorus*
Oh to be at sea, my boys
With the wind in our faces 
Working hard, shouting ahoys!
No more kicking over the traces.

*Mistress Lee is the Captain's wife

©🦊VixenOfVerse, 2023