Slowly, after many days, he opened up his eyes

Full of cold and hunger but too sore to feel surprise

his vision blurred, he looked around to find his hands were bound

him and 50 others all in chains upon the ground

“look at you, awake at last” a voice called out to him

beside the boy the merchant sat, alive but looking grim

“You’re as brave as any hero lad, but lucky you’re not dead

your fight was quite heroic, til that pirate hit your head”

“Where’s our ship, and where’s the crew” his throat was sore and dry

“the ship was taken on that day, and here the crew all lie”

the merchant pointed to the room where fifty men now lay

“most were killed, the captain too, and some are on their way”

And so without a meal or drink, they occupied the brig

rolling in their filth like some some old sick and starving pig

he rode that wretched pirate ship that rocked upon the sea

dreaming of a hero’s life, and setting himself free

Every day imprisoned there felt longer than the last

half the crew still living died before a week had passed

some of hunger, some of thirst, and some of injury

the boy was slowly overcome with fear and misery

“Pull yourself together boy, we’ll make it out alive

night will end and slightly better days will soon arrive

they’ll sell us off to work then we’ll escape and start to roam

I may have lost a fortune but I’ve twice as much at home”

Sure enough, in time it was just like he had foretold

the pirates brought the prisoners to auction to be sold

but for one unlucky boy caught up in the attack

the captain sold the rest but then he took the young boy back

“Little one, you ran into your destiny head first”

you overcame your injuries, your hunger, and your thirst

you’d be better suited to a battle than a mine

either way, you’ll walk the plank unless you stay in line

At first the boy refused to work aboard a pirate ship

but threatened with a painful death, the young boy bit his lip

several pirates took their cut of gold and left the crew

but soon the pirate ship was back at sea with work to do

The pirates were a scary lot but disciplined at sea

the boy was tentative, but did his work as faithfully

“children weak as you would sooner run away or hide

here you are a pirate now, so have a little pride”

The boy was still ashamed to join the pirate’s ghastly crew

but if he would survive then there was work he had to do

after several months of work he understood their pace

working til the work was done, another day to face

He didn’t hate his work and took the good days with the bad

he never tired of fights and there were plenty to be had

the captain only punished him, for starting fights he lost

to get a little stronger every day was worth the cost

His swordsmanship advanced about as fast as he had grown

and all his years of labour put some muscle on his bone

tempted to be happy with the food upon his plate

soon a battle would occur to test his moral state

Just as he’d experienced himself not long ago

the pirate ship approached a royal ship that travelled slow

“we’ll take the gold and ransom off the passengers and crew

failing means we all will hang, so you know what to do”

Every pirate on the ship would charge in the attack

any who declined would find a knife against their back

so hesitation didn’t last with no choice left but one

to live or die in battle and forget the urge to run

The boy recalled the violence of the pirates’ last attack

and hoped the ship before him wouldn’t bother fighting back

but soldiers of some foreign kingdom lined up at the rail

and it was clear they meant to hang the pirates without fail

Like a dream the boy was caught up in the bloody raid

pushed aboard the royal ship while holding up his blade

an injured man soon ran at him to kill or there be slain

before the boy could say a word, the soldier cried in pain

Soon he noticed that his sword had pierced the soldier’s chest

the boy withdrew the bloody sword but he would find no rest

a pirate picked him up and threw him forward once again

before he’d fully woken up, he’d killed at least three men

The pirates gathered up the treasure stored beneath the deck

and kept the crying passengers and injured crew in check

the boy was told to search below for passengers and gold

the captain said he’d grant him any treasure he could hold

Feeling colder still than any night he spent in snow

the boy picked up a sabre and he ventured down below

the middle decks were full of silk and fabrics soft and fine

the lower decks were home to bars of gold and bottled wine

He opened up some boxes filled with curiosities

happily distracted from his own atrocities

tempted by the captain’s words he searched for something nice

but every treasure he discovered, made the boy think twice

He heard another pirate coming down to claim a prize

when suddenly a fancy looking barrel caught his eyes

like a wooden oyster, maybe he would find a pearl

but all he found inside it was a frightened little girl

Staring at the girl who wept and pleaded to be freed

he knew the kind of life a girl in pirates’ hands would lead

he thought of where to hide her but he had too little time

and if the boy was found out, he’d be killed for such a crime

The pirate fast approaching, suddenly he took her hand

with a single motion he then forced the girl to stand

the girl cried out and fought him but he dragged her past the crew

and then it came to him, he knew exactly what to do

“Don’t you touch the princess” several prisoners had cried

but once the pirate captain heard that word, his smile grew wide

“a princess is the finest merchandise we could acquire

her ransom soon will buy us any treasures we desire”

“You promised when we took the ship, a promise we all heard,

and though you are a pirate, still a man is worth his word”

he picked the princess up with both his arms, while smiling wide

“I can have what I can hold, unless our captain lied”

The ship was deathly silent while the captain stroked his beard

there wasn’t any ocean where his anger wasn’t feared

he looked upon the young boy who returned his fearless gaze

“never have I been so fooled, in all my pirate days”

The captain laughed and laughed until the icy air had cleared

the prisoners all cried while all the pirates wildly cheered

“this ship has made us rich but that boy put us all to shame

we got our share of treasure, but the prize is his to claim”

“Tonight will be a feast to celebrate our little friend

he seemed a weak young lad but he’s a pirate to the end!”

he couldn’t help but feel encouraged by the pirates’ praise

as he drank he found it hard to meet his captive’s gaze

So it happened that the boy, a pirate’s slave, so poor

no hammock for to sleep in, not a copper coin in store

came into possession of a princess on her way

to broker peace between two kingdoms still at war today

The captain didn’t falter on the promise that he’d made

but wouldn’t see a princess eat his food unless she paid

“your master here will teach you how to earn your food and drink”

if either of you skip your work, you’re dead before I blink

The princess dragged her feet at first and soon her dress was rags

but hunger gave her strength to sew some clothes from some old bags

she gained a reputation soon for mending shirts and sails

she cursed the pirates’ work but she neglected no details

The boy was haunted every day, by everything he’d done

for all the lives he’d taken, he had only rescued one

he thought of how to free her but he had no strength or wealth

but the most that he could do was keep her in good health

When a month had passed another ship came into sight

it didn’t look as valuable, but pirates always fight

the boy refused at first but was encouraged by the crew

who beat him to submission til his motivation grew

The merchant vessel foolishly resisted the attack

the boy was thrown before them, and could only fight them back

once he’d killed a merchant, then he claimed his share of gold

resolving then to purchase any freedom to be sold

Slaves aboard a pirate ship were compensated well

freedom could be bought, if slaves could steal enough to sell

living such a life, the boy was never free of fear

but scary as the crew was, the economy was clear

The quartermaster never failed to document a prize

honest to his duties, and no gold escaped his eyes

soon the boy learned it had been decided long before

it’d take a year to buy the freedom he longed for

And so the boy continued his adventure on the sea

learning of the world now through a life of piracy

the boy became accustomed to the pirate’s life of crime

promising the princess that they would be free in time

At first he feared the shame he felt with every fight and raid

would cripple him for all his years, whatever price he paid

but gradually his sword began weigh a little less

and taking lives to save his own would cause him no distress

He never sang his hero songs, but kept them in his mind

and swung his sword heroically when he was in a bind

the people that he killed were just a hero’s sacrifice

though it cost him sleepless nights, he felt he’d paid the price

Surely even heroes wouldn’t let themselves be slain

they’d persevere and fight again before they died in vain

no songs tell of heroes killed by any sinless man

as a hero he would have to fight the best he can

One day he would save a life for every one he took

and he would be the hero like in any children’s book

if piracy should be the prison sentence of a boy

should he be condemned if there were days he did enjoy

Every time he managed to survive another raid

he became much stronger and a little less afraid

no longer did he fear the sound of dying sailor’s screams

there was only one way he could reach his farthest dreams

All the pirates fought beside each other as a mob

not a trace of teamwork, every man to his own job

so he learned to watch his own back when they raided ships

pirates had no need for friends or close relationships

He lost count of all the ships he raided with the crew

but by all the gold he earned the number wasn’t few

though he earned more scars than gold his first few months aboard

he became a fearsome pirate when he held a sword

Motivated by his quest to free the girl he saved

and one day be a hero, never more to be enslaved

he showed no mercy to himself or to his enemies

ever day he woke, he felt like he could rule the seas

A year of piracy had seen the boy become a man

six long years had left him since his pilgrimage began

eventually the day had come when he could pay his price

he’d killed and stolen just enough to free him from his vice

With the princess in his arms he left the ship one day

the captain took his gold and quickly sent them both away

somewhere very far from where his voyage had begun

finally the hero’s life of piracy was done