With sails afurled they drifted forth
the wind at their aft
the smouldering clouds quickening
a storm gathering bout their mast

the tumultuous torrents ravaging
the thunder closing in
the sailors madly battling
poseidon's wrathful whims

gnashing and crashing the sails were lashing
billowing in the gale
defiantly singing they sealed the rigging
shouting out a salty tale
then came the crackling lightning
to strike upon their fears
oe'r top a thrashing slough
a galleon appeared

her deck
had been scored
as if by leviathan's claw
deep blackened slimy trenches
of solid oak
torn raw

unmanned and dismembered she's left adrift
the fate of her crew shall remain a myth
this derelict galleon bathed in pain
a testament to poseidon's reign
her crew
seemingly gone
every man down to the last
tattered sails
hung wildly
from the shattered remains of her mast

with their hearts filled with pride
they merrily sang and cursed the skies
and as the storm came to a lull
a sailor alive on the rotting hull
suffering

a starving
old seadog
a skeletal wreckage
of the seaman
he used to
be

that night
the crew gathered round
to hear
of what had happened
in that
sea

and this was his tale
now hearken me hearties to my tale of this night
lest the menace of these waters fill your proud hearts with fright
many nights ago we sailed through the twilight serene
when we were set upon by a furious being
his yellow eyes peered hungry
from deep beneath the swell
his beak of rusted iron cruised with
barnacles and shells

his darkness was spotted
too late for he attacked
a fourteen armed demon
of scaly black
lashing out the men with a fury divine
and pulling them down to his inky brine
so swallow your courage and pride of any form
and brothers, beware the calm that follows the storm
beware the calm that follows the storm

with sails unfurled they drifted forth
the wind at their sterns
under grey clouds the new sun was shining
the weather long since turned
sulking over the wispy waves
a galleon beaten and torn
blackened slashes across her bow
in the calm that followed the storm