Sou’ sou’ east, with the course set fair —
Heave ho, me hearties!
On the Geelong road we’re cruisin’ there —
Seven tars with ne’er a care —
Heave ho, me hearties!
When up speaks Bill of trouble aft;
But the bos’n grinned and the skipper laughed;
An’ ‘e sez, “We’ll trust the queer ole craft —
Heave ho, me hearties!”
Stuns’ls, mains’ls, all were set —
Heave ho, me hearties!
An’ the fust mate sez, “We’ll make port yet,
For the seas are smooth, so don’t you fret —
Heave ho, me hearties!”
But the steersman sez, “I doubt her feel,
For she ain’t responding to the wheel,
An’ I got me doubts of ‘r starboard keel —
But heave ho, me hearties!”
There weren’t no sea, tho’ thegale was stiff —
Heave ho, me hearties!
When this mad ole, bad ole dry land skiff
Is a total loss in ‘arf a jiff –
Heave ho, me hearties!
“Dry land,” the skipper sez, sez ‘e,
“Is a ‘ard, ‘ard spot; give me the sea.”
An’ so in ‘ospital, sez we —
With a heave ho, me hearties.
(C J Dennis)
More Poetry from C J Dennis:
- Book Contents: Moods Of Ginger Mick (C J Dennis Poems)
- The Rhymes of Sym (C J Dennis Poems)
- The Kid (C J Dennis Poems)
- The Battle Of The Wazzir (C J Dennis Poems)
- Termarter Sorce (C J Dennis Poems)
- Rabbits (C J Dennis Poems)