The Ballad of Private Poe

I wrote this poem a long time ago, but since it’s just been sitting there, silent, and since several of you have said you like reading my poems because they’re entertaining, I thought I’d just let you read it for fun. 🙂  So here it is:

The Ballad of Private Poe
or One Young Man’s Trials and Tribulations for the Sake of His Relatives.

In the army, signed up,
Was a young Private Poe,
Who cared not to go up,
Or to stay down below,
Then, as he had expressed
A quite certain desire,
They sent him to sea,
So he was not a flier.
But strange exclamations
He made on the boat,
“Without my relations,
I wish not to float!”
This startled them, quite,
And with great hesitation,
Consid’rable fright,
And not much elation,
They told him that such
Were not ways of the sea,
That he wished for too much
(It was quite clear to see.)
Relations, they said
Were not things to be took
Along with you, as bread,
Baggage, trunk, kit, or book!
It was clearly not right,
They were sure he’d agree,
Relations just might
Not fit in with the sea!
Well, poor Private Poe
Very sadly protested,
Explaining, just so,
They would not be molested.
Relations, ‘twas true,
One did not haul around,
As in brass-bound trunks, new
But it really did sound
As if on board this ship
Relations weren’t expected!
“But here is a tip,
They will be well protected!”
They tried to explain
That that ship’s use was just
For protecting the main
Population – it must!
But our young Private Poe
He could not understand,
And yes “even though
We’re protecting the land,
If relations could not
Be invited aboard,
This ship ought to rot
Or be put to the sword!”
(As if such could be done!)
And they did tell him so,
That relations were none,
And the answer was no.
Then our young Private Poe,
He was really quite pert,
And said, if ‘twas so,
He’d be forced to desert.
But that would destroy
All the old regulations,
So they told the poor boy
To invite his relations.

(This is copyrighted, since I do plan to publish a book of poems one day when I write enough of them.  But since it’s been sitting there I just wanted to share it with you. 🙂 )

@dekreel @sam-kowal @daeus @jenwriter17 @ingridrd @any-and-everyone-else 😀