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