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

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

~