And now, our prompt (remember — these are optional, so if they don’t inspire you or you have an idea of your own you want to work with, go ahead!). I’m playing to my own strengths here, but I challenge you to write a sea shanty (or shantey, or chanty, or chantey — there’s a good deal of disagreement regarding the spelling!). Anyway, these are poems in the forms of songs, strongly rhymed and rhythmic, that sailors might sing while hauling on ropes and performing other sea-going labors. Probably the two most famous sea shanties are What Shall We Do With A Drunken Sailor? and Blow the Man Down. And what should your poem be about? Well, I suppose it could be about anything, although some nautical phrases tossed into the chorus would be good for keeping the sea in your shanty. Haul away, boys, haul away!
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I spent two days trying to come up with a Sea Shanty, half a dozen versions which I WILL NOT post here, because they sucked...
But I had an out - You don't have to follow the prompt, so after trying, and trying and trying I gave up and wrote this:
Sea Alt:
A little "c" saw
what the Bering Sea sees
and was over come
with jealousy.
"I'll never be
as mighty
as the raging sea..."
The little "c" said to the lower case "b".
"I know what you mean."
said the lower case "b",
"I want to fly high,
see what the bumble bee sees."
"To fly in the sky,
over long, tall oak trees
is a dream I still dream."
Said the lower case "b".
"Then, I'll see you tonight."
Said the tired little "c".
"When we sleep and we dream,
and can be what we'll be."
So, off they both went.
The "c" and the "b".
To their own little beds
and to dream mighty dreams,
4-4-13
Okay, it mentions the sea in it, does it count?
It's not done, but it tickled my fancy...
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