One
don’t complain or they’ll beat you
when they rip you and three others
from your home
from your mother’s cinnamon embrace
from everything
you’ve ever known
pretend this is something you want
you’re only twelve
pretend it means freedom on the high seas
swallow your doubts and your tears
Two
don’t complain when they hand you a rag
and a bucket of grimy water
scrub the decks of bird droppings and filth
until your shoulders burn
help make the “beef stew”
choke it down to survive
don’t think too hard about the clumps of fur
ignore the groaning and creaking of your stomach
when your dinner is stolen
tell yourself it’s making you tougher.
Three
don’t complain
work yourself stronger
and when you’re given a long rusty knife
and sent with the others to pillage a merchant vessel
listen only to the rush of blood in your head
stamp down anything that distracts you
stamp down anyone
who stops you.
Four
don’t complain when you get hurt
when you return to the ship
tattered around the edges
toes broken
arm sliced bloody
right eye swollen
lie in your cot sleepless
let the bandages soak up the blood
the pain
the weakness
show off your scars later
gloat of escaping death
when your eye becomes infected
don’t scream
when it must be scooped out
Five
don’t complain when the next target is a fishing village
break what needs breaking
take what needs taking
listen only
to the rush in your head
tear a boy from his mother’s arms
even when she smells like cinnamon
pretend
you want this
Artist Statement: The romantic ideal of pirates is very cool. Despite its theoretical awesomeness, through all of history being a pirate (for the most part) actually really sucked. I tried to portray this more unradical side of being a pirate in this piece, and I'm happy with where it led me.
don’t complain or they’ll beat you
when they rip you and three others
from your home
from your mother’s cinnamon embrace
from everything
you’ve ever known
pretend this is something you want
you’re only twelve
pretend it means freedom on the high seas
swallow your doubts and your tears
Two
don’t complain when they hand you a rag
and a bucket of grimy water
scrub the decks of bird droppings and filth
until your shoulders burn
help make the “beef stew”
choke it down to survive
don’t think too hard about the clumps of fur
ignore the groaning and creaking of your stomach
when your dinner is stolen
tell yourself it’s making you tougher.
Three
don’t complain
work yourself stronger
and when you’re given a long rusty knife
and sent with the others to pillage a merchant vessel
listen only to the rush of blood in your head
stamp down anything that distracts you
stamp down anyone
who stops you.
Four
don’t complain when you get hurt
when you return to the ship
tattered around the edges
toes broken
arm sliced bloody
right eye swollen
lie in your cot sleepless
let the bandages soak up the blood
the pain
the weakness
show off your scars later
gloat of escaping death
when your eye becomes infected
don’t scream
when it must be scooped out
Five
don’t complain when the next target is a fishing village
break what needs breaking
take what needs taking
listen only
to the rush in your head
tear a boy from his mother’s arms
even when she smells like cinnamon
pretend
you want this
Artist Statement: The romantic ideal of pirates is very cool. Despite its theoretical awesomeness, through all of history being a pirate (for the most part) actually really sucked. I tried to portray this more unradical side of being a pirate in this piece, and I'm happy with where it led me.
