The Nameless Ship

A Cozy Poem about Betrayal

Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash

There I was upon the nameless ship

where the water crashes against the bow

pooling, stirring, splashing against the rail every trip.

drip, drip, drip:

dripping from the rigging of the nameless ship.

She, for she was the ship,

Was the one that I trusted the most.

An ancient ship she was

her sail white as wings of doves

her crew loyal to her and me

the captain of the nameless ship

like a ruler from up above

to them I was leader, navigator and Host.

No one could break our bond,

until the curse arrived:

We had plundered an island tribe

their shamans had called upon some ancient forest spirt

to smite us

The curse, more a disease, began to thrive

causing the afflicted to writhe

as soon as we had left their coast.

Those that were curse ate all that they could,

rats and rope and even human flesh, though worse of all wood.

If you think the cannibalism was the most grim,

you have misunderstood

For the men were eating the nameless ship

And this was far from good.

The crew had been possessed by the Ghost.

I knew I had to turn on my crew

the nameless ship had gotten me through

so much, without it what could I do?

I enlisted the men who still had their bearings

And with their help we did subdue

the most ravenous ones and slit their throats.

But in sickness the rest would follow I knew,

and so once the numbers were culled I presented a toast.

Goblets of poison each crewman did drink

and when each one was brought to the brink

of death, on each ones leg a weight did I link

before I threw them each into to the sea

and one by one

I watched them sink.

Now alone I caressed the nameless ship

“I alone will never forsake you” did I boast.

But late at night I woke up from my dreaming

I felt within me a ravenous feeling

the desire to eat all flesh and wood

even for me there was no redeeming.

“I will never succumb,“ I cried to her believing

But even as I stood there screaming

The boom of the masthead moved on its own,

and crashed into me sending me reeling

I fell into the depths of the sea.

The nameless ship continued sailing

Leaving me behind:

A silent betrayal by the one I had trusted the most.

Authors Note:

This poem was written for the day 6 prompt of Nikki | Nocturnal Narrator’s October prompts.

I actually started brainstorming and drafting a completely different poem for today’s prompt, but honestly the idea after I began to draft it didn’t suit the prompt enough to my liking, so I switched later in the day to this idea, which is kind of a bit of a teaser for a long form story I may write in the future.

Hope y’all enjoyed!