Ship's Cats of the Kalmar Nyckel.

I learned today that Timmynocky, the cover cat for Catzilla, died over the winter. I wondered why I didn't see him at the ship, but since he was a rover who was often gone on shore leave, I wasn't too surprised not to see him.

Meanwhile, Toolbox, the senior ship's cat, has retired. Toolbox is so named because she was born in a toolbox when the ship was under construction in 1997. She is elderly and has gone blind, so she is now retired ashore. She enjoys her heated bed very much. She had a retirement party last winter.

The ship has acquired a new grey kitten. She's a grey tuxedo and very active and intelligent, so she has the makings of a good ship's cat. She is currently living in the galley while she is acclimated to her new home. She is seven weeks old. Her name is 'Ditty,' like 'ditty bag.' (All the KN cats have nautical names.)

Next time I go to the ship, I'll take my camera and take pictures. I wish I'd had it today because we were bending on the mainsail and raising the main yard. However, I was on galley crew, so I was below for most of my time at the ship. I did march around the capstan to raise the yard, though.

More Twitter Tanka and Tall Ships

Ahab had

his white whale,

but I,

I go chasing

after white sails

Cape Cod Bay—

just one schooner

on her way

to the races

and a looming hurricane

Hellsgate—

deceptively quiet

at midnight

and slack tide

as we ghost through

the sea 

like rippled silk,

a blue 

no dyer

will ever match

spray flying

and clouds gathering

ah well

it’s a problem

for the next watch

a moment’s rest

before dinner—

scribbling a few lines

so I won’t forget

this day

a zephyr

with teeth,

thirty knots

howling through

the rigging

at sea

on my son’s birthday,

no way to call him,

but I think of him

all the same

Manhattan’s 

fabled skyline—

pretty to look at

but I wouldn’t want

to live there

surprisingly

little traffic

in Long Island Sound,

whatever happened

to the great port of New York?

Manhattan sunset

white and red lights

like gems

as seen from the deck

of a passing ship

at the end

of a day’s sailing,

the cat’s grey fur

sparkles

with salt crystals

a Yankee port

buried somewhere under

the yachts

and mansions

of Martha’s Vineyard

no king

on a gilded throne

could ever equal

the glory of 

a sailor at sea

God made 

the seas so large

so men would have

an inkling of

His majesty

sea legs—

the ship

standing still

in the middle

of a topsy turvy world

beam sea

watching the books

topple left

then right

on the bookshelf

the cruise ship

with her passengers

dwarfs us—

and so do

their wallets

I miss

the solitude

of a wintry sea,

just God, work,

and the clatter of oysters

Seamen's Bethel

with a hurricane coming

I sit in those 

bony pews and contemplate

the the hundreds of names not written

~passages from Cape Code to New York City

Twitter Tanka

It has been a long time since I have posted poetry or much of anything to my blog, so I thought I would catch up by posting some poems that have previously appeared only on Twitter.

a freighter at anchor

her bow turned to face

the onslaught;

sky and sea

and storm and wave

the tall ship’s captain

in a pirate bikini

a rhinestone 

skull and crossed bones

over her left breast

still in her bikini

the captain explains

mechanical advantage

and directs the re-rigging

of the gun tackle

“stand off, stand off!”

I cry, hanging in

the rigging,

curious tourists 

right under our guns

clothes make the man:

the Viceroy in his hat and wig

is a charming gentleman,

but without his costume

he’s just another creepy old man

a linen shirt

and waistcoat—

more compliments

at the pirate festival

than the rest of the year

he calls me “dashing”

the much too young

shipmate

who says

he might be bi

“rum, sodomy,

and the lash”

here’s rum

and even a few lashes, 

but not a bit of sodomy

underage for sure—

but if he’s old enough

to carry a gun,

he’s old enough

to be ogled

too wet

to sleep on deck

too hot to

sleep below

a long night at sea

~Blackbeard Pirate Festival, Hampton, VA, 2010