Sword at hand, I slaught the man
Who’d rob me of my gold.
With flying hair about his face
I sent him far abroad.
I turned to face another foe,
More loathsome and more foul,
But realised then, after all,
That he was just a man.
The horrid look of terror
Had struck his body numb,
That he could not defend himself,
And realised that I’d won.
He leapt up to the banister
And shouted foul words down,
Words regretting wisdom lost,
And rule under the crown.
‘Twas then that no more came to fight,
To feel the sting of swords
And I alone stood on the ship,
Drifting to the shore.
I looked about for things to do,
To occupy my mind,
And realised after time had passed
There was but naught to find.
Then the sun began to sink
And the moon came out.
The starts danced upon the water’s edge
As sharks did swim about.
The bodies of the men I’d slain
Were bobbing up and down
Atop the glistening water,
Silver as fine down.
Blood spilled from one’s body
Deep into the blue
Spoiling the majestic spirit
Of the ocean and its hue.
Reaching back into my coat,
I drew the pouch of gold
And cast it from my shaking hand
Into the depths below.
Woe betide, I mourned the loss
Of sailors to the sea
That the lure of greed and wealth
Had consumed with such ease.


[Praising God for saving me
From much greater perils
I set my sights to sail into
The coming stormy weather -
To taste the sweet sensation
Of salt upon my tongue
And live a life worth living
Under the golden sun.]
[..added for exam purposes only..]