Max the Pirate Cat

I shall sing to you my story
Of heroic fights and glory
The boldest pirate ever to set sail
My name is Max the pirate cat
with my earring and my hat
Let me tell you of my tail within a tale

I was born in Nassau town
In bawdy house back room
With my brothers and my sisters in the hay
But I was a kitten bold
Went exploring a ship's hold
And when they left the town I stowed away

Now the ship sailed from the bay
While I went below to play
And I caught a tasty mouse down in the hold
When I ventured out on deck
The first mate grabbed me by my neck
Crying “Cap'n, I have found a kitten bold”

Well the Cabin Boy was smitten
with the feisty ginger kitten
And they begged the Captain for to let them keep
me, “In my hammock he can lay
While we're piratin' by day
And he'll pillage rats and mice while we're asleep”

So I went about my chores
As we sailed those balmy shores
Max the pirate kitten what a sight to see
I had all the mice to eat
And on Sundays for a treat
A whole fish on deck for my tea

In a hammock below decks
I caught my claws within the nets
The Cabin Boy he rescued me with care
“That's no good” the Captain said
“Now he'd best sleep on my bed”
How I purred to earn my first promotion there

When the pirates docked in port
I went with them just for sport
On the shoulder of the cabin boy I sat
With a gold ring in my ear
Sharpened claws for all to fear
Quite the dashing figure – Max the Pirate Cat

When we sailed into a fight
I was with them – day or night
With the battle I would join in tooth and claw
The other pirates feared me
And my own crew they adored me
You could say I had them wrapped around my paw

But one day a fierce skirmish
Where I whirled round like a dervish
Led to tragedy – I nearly was impaled
Carried from a sinking wreck
I was tended below decks
But when I woke up I no longer had my tail

I was downcast and distraught
And the mice rampaged uncaught
As I lay and wondered what this would entail
For a carven wooden peg
Will replace a missing leg
But a pirate cat can't have a wooden tail

While docking in Tortuga
We picked up a lad called Hugo
From a dreary land so far across the sea
He was sad and missed his home
All he did was mope and moan
And the first time that he smiled was seeing me

For he talked of his fair isle
With a wistful, distant smile
Where the cats were just like me and had no tails
They were strong and proud you see
The greatest mousers you could see
I climbed on deck and listened from the sails

As he spoke I grew much bolder
And sat purring by his shoulder
He said “surely you're a mouser of renown”
And the lad renamed me Manx
And I scratched his ear in thanks
Now I ride his shoulder when we go to town

Yes the lad renamed me Manx
And I scratched his ear in thanks
When he said I was a mouser of renown
Yes, I'm Manx the Pirate Cat
With my earring and my hat
And I ride his shoulder when we go to town.

Copyright © 2018 Carys