Open Writing

The seas was runnin' high they was,
Almost to the flood.
The sun sank in the western sky
The color of fresh blood.

Red as red can be, me b'ye
And waves as high as that
E'en our sails was splittin'
Like a haberdasher's hat.

"Ahoy the deck" the cry rang out
"A bearing from abaft
She's comin' hard agin' the wind
And lads, she's gainin' fast!"

I screwed my eyes and squinted
The way that he had shown
At first I saw just nothing,
Then sailing ship were shown.

She were a triple master,
But canvas carried naught.
She bore down on our starboard side
We felt like we was caught.

"Ahoy the deck!" Again the cry
Came to us from on high;
"This ain't no ordinary ship!
Stand fast an' peel yer eyes!"

The strange thing drew abreast of us
Not sail, nor spar we saw.
The helmsman's shirt in tatters hung
No beard bedecked his jaw.

I prayed to Lord in heaven
More than before, 'tis true
As I beheld the features
Of the helmsman and the crew.

No skin were on his whitened skull
His eyes was gone and black
His grin were fixed; his helm bound
There were no room for slack.

No planks along her weathered side,
And naked ribs showed through.
Her cargo holds were empty
As was the whole damned crew.

They drew ahead of us, and disappeared
Straight off the for'ard bow
I never told this tale before
I'm tellin' to ye now.

They say there be a ghost ship
That sails the seas of damned
And not one man-jack on our ship
Doubted, to the man.

Aye, lad, 'twere a Ghost Ship
We seen that awful night
And if me legs had movement
They'd run me off in fright!

They say the ship still prowls these seas
And sometimes logs will tell
About a mystery ship that comes and goes
From sunset into hell.

I seen 'er once, an' that were all
It took me straight ashore.
And made me swear off sailin'
The seas forevermore.