Today’s daily prompt (optional, as always) again comes from our archives. 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 (at least before TikTok gave us The Wellerman) 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!

Come on, boots*, it's time to clean up and dry
Been a week since Blue Peter** waved us  goodbye
Let's go fetch a pail
There's good wind in the sail

Let's pile the laundry to be done
And hang it out there in the sun
Fill the dinghy*** with water
That's the Captain's order

Wash away the grime
Scrub away the salt
Put it on the line
And have a Malt

Watch the clothes sway
And dream away
Dream of home
of love, of land, dream

*rookie sailors were called boots in the old days
**Blue Peters- blue and white flag hoisted to show a ship is ready to leave the port
***dinghy - small boat

P.C. From the Net

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