Poetry

Wednesday, 11 September 2024

Ship-shape and Bristol fashion

 Light the candle wick

Spick and span

With the soap brick

Scrub man, scrub

Til the deck is clean enough to lick

Ship-shape and Bristol fashion


Haul on the bowline

Don't cross the line

Toe the line

Full sail flickering

In a cool night breeze

Reminds me

Of my home

in England

When the wind is in the apple trees

Ship shape and Bristol fashion


Better tighten your belt

Get a new ink blot

Watch how it's spelt

Watch how he knelt

Captain at his prayers

First mate on the boardwalk

Coming down the stairs

Everything is quiet

Save the swinging of the hammocks

Monks in their bunks

Ship-shape and Bristol fashion


Cooks in the galley

Slaves in our chains

Singing how green is your valley

They'll be singing in vain

Rum is in the blood

In the jug and the alley

Keel sliding perfectly

Like two legs in a foul

Ship-shape and Bristol fashion

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