and followed that calling to the rolling sail
not used to maids amid ships the crew were appalled
but soon made peace with the captain as well
he was a bachelor born of Hobart sound
saw in the flailing girl his daughter long dead
did not think about the effect on the crew in the round
as men do when their hearts rule their heads
they put out to sea in search of sperm whale
she scrubbed decks and cooked for the crew
the captain kept shy not appearing to show favour
though every man on board well knew
at stroke of twelve her soft soled feet flit across the boards
to tap at captains door and enter there within
there they rolled like waves of old
the crew thought the captain thin-skinned
then the whales were spotted and the killing started
the captain out front in the boats
flailing girl left standing on deck from her lover parted
is it the killing about which one gloats?
sea turned red with blood of those mighty mammals
their skin was stripped their blubber boiled
flailing girl began to think men are animals
and at heart she questioned the world
her footsteps didn't skirt the deck to captains cabin
she stayed in the hold out of the sun
the light of day a giant knife stabbing
at her water life just begun
twelfth watchman was the one to see her
as she wandered lonely about the ship
she babbled about blood and broken covenant
grabbed a bollard and took her leap into the deep
the captain was stoic and resolved
he knew better than to mourn his loss
told his men we keep hunting the whale
their souls locked to its plunging tail
never stopping to count the cost
© shaun patrick green 2011
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