It’s Day Ten of National Poetry Writing Month, and today’s challenge from NaPoWriMo.net is to write a sea shanty.

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!

So here we go!

This shanty I’ll be singin’ you
is somewhat false but mostly true
and of no consequence to you,
I’ll tell it anyhoo.

Where ocean meets the beachy land
a ship was snared upon the sand,
a vessel maybe tall and grand,
I never really knew.

    Yo ho, she’s stuck there still,
    now barely more than rust and krill.
    Tho waves come tugging at her sill
    her sailing days are through.

The Peter Iredale she was named,
from Liverpool her owner came,
the Beatles hailed from there the same,
though none the other knew.

In nineteen oh six she came ‘round
for Portland, Oregon she was bound.
a northwest squall pushed her aground,
but didn’t harm her crew.

    Yo ho, she’s stuck there still,
    now barely more than rust and krill.
    Tho waves come tugging at her sill
    her sailing days are through.

No craggy coastline is to blame,
No pirates set the ship aflame.
A barren beach, it’s pretty lame,
still nothing they could do.

A century and more it‘s been
The masts at low tide can be seen,
The bow lists towards the waters green
Her sailing days are through.

    Yo ho, she’s stuck there still,
    now barely more than rust and krill.
    Tho waves come tugging at her sill
    her sailing days are through.