Pirates and Privateers

This salty CD of original compositions, both poetical and instrumental, captures the essence of a pirate and his life at sea. Stephen Sanders reads all but one of the poems, six of which he wrote, while Kenny Sanders provides five musical interludes interspersed between the readings.

The first offering is Kenny’s “Blackbeard’s Melody,” a snappy tune that calls us to rise from our seats to dance a jig. A smile forms, and while not exactly the image we may envision of the fearsome Blackbeard, the music swiftly transports us back to another era where wooden ships sail the seas and pirates lurk, waiting for unsuspecting prey.

The other songs in this collection are “Sailing under the Black Flag,” “Down Village Creek,” “Farewell, My Old Friend,” and “Before the Sunset.” This last tune is reminiscent of dancers swaying to the last song before the night ends. The serene melody lulls them with a promise of future adventures the next time they visit yet is tinged with regret that the night must end.

Kenny not only wrote these compositions but also performs them on a variety of instruments: guitar, guitar synthesizer, mandolin, and synthesized hornpipes, bongos, and other instruments. As you listen, your mind’s eye easily sees him entertaining sea rogues and wenches at the Devil’s Tavern, or playing for his mates when taking their rest from a hard day’s work at sea.

The other offerings on this disc come from poetry that appear in Raising Black Flags, and include Debra Estes Peterson’s “The Angel of Death,” Kittye Williams’s “The Last Watch,” Desiree Simons’s “Steal from Me Tonight,” Pamela A. Williams’s “Remembrance,” Shari Land’s  “Galley Cook’s Lament,” and Steve Sanders’s “God Take the King,” “Farewell, Brave Lion,” “The Ocean Rolls On,” “Prize Island,” “A Tale from the Devil’s Tavern,” and “Raising Black Flags.”

All the poems conjure up vivid imagery that easily allows us to “see” what the words say. Being a storyteller myself, I have particular favorites because of the pictures they paint. Shari Land quintessentially captures the sea cook in “Galley Cook’s Lament.” Although not a prerequisite for the job, a chef who cleverly creates concoctions from sparse, and often rotting or infested, ingredients to nourish the crew is a prize indeed. But this particular pirate adds a secret ingredient to his salmagundi that gets him and his stew marooned on a deserted island. A dire consequence indeed, but Shari adds a twist that leaves us with a smile on our lips.

Steve reads all the poems with the gravelly voice of a pirate. In “God Take the King,” he spins the tale of why a seaman turns to piracy. His rendering grips your heart and you easily empathize with the mariner, knowing you, too, may well follow that same path had you endured the same. A pirate’s regret in “Farewell, Brave Lion” causes you to experience that same lament after the loss of a stalwart and true friend, the pirate’s ship. This telling of “A Tale from the Devil’s Tavern” is as haunting for us as the young lad who discovers a fiery ghost claims another victim, a mate who scoffs at his fellow pirates’ superstitious beliefs.

No matter which poem becomes your favorite, each offering here will evoke emotions in you. The voice mesmerizes you and takes you back to a time when the pirates rule the Caribbean.

Contact for additional information

Review Copyright ©2010 Cindy Vallar

Raising Black Flags: Original Poetry By and About Pirates
edited by Stephen Sanders
Blackbead Books, 2008, ISBN 978-0-615-25535-4, US $16.97

In the year 2008, a bold band of brave and hardy souls set sail on a journey born of hope and a quest for freedom and glory. These seafaring poets and artists . . . set out to make their mark upon the pirate genre and do what they could to inspire their readers with tales of the legends and legacies of buccaneers, privateers, mermaids, sirens, and a life at sea. . . .

Thus begins this anthology of original poetry interspersed with black-&-white illustrations by Kenneth King and Robert L. Berry, Jr. Thirty-nine poems make up this collection and as the opening promises, the reader meets pirates, sirens, and seamen.

One delight is that the participants in this book include short biographies before the treasures unfold, which allows us a brief insight into who these people are. They come from various backgrounds and places, and each has had life adventures that impact their writing. Of course, being pirates all, they also have a variety of monikers, such as The Right Reverend One Eye or Rumba Rue. All the poems in this collection demonstrate a thorough knowledge of the sea and piracy.

As I read these poems, I recalled a discussion in my high school English class many years ago. A student teacher attempted to tell us what the poet meant when he wrote the verse. I, and others, disagreed, for poetry is personal and each reader/listener interprets a poem’s meaning for herself. What strikes a chord in one person may not do so in another. That is the joy and thrill of reading poetry. Not all the poems in this collection resonate with me, but all must be judged on their own merits, and what you like may not be what I like.

When I closed the cover on Raising Black Flags, I had four personal favorites and of these, two were written by Pamala A. Williams and two by Stephen Sanders. Pamala, also known as Diamond, is an actress and Renaissance performer from Oklahoma. Steve, aka Blackbead, has written poetry since he was a child. Below you will find Pamala’s “Remembrance,” and when you peruse this book, be sure to read “The Old Sea Captain,” whose imagery and tale will bring a tear to even the most stalwart pirate’s eyes. Steve’s “God Take the King!” is also included below, but “The Captain’s Coat” spins the tale of a pirate captain and his search for prizes.

Currently, this band of pirates is working on another anthology that will include poems, short stories, and artwork. If you’d like to join the crew of Adventure and make your mark in the realm of pirate lore, contact Blackbead. If Raising Black Flags is any indication, this new edition will be as much of a treasure as this anthology is.

Review Copyright ©2009 Cindy Vallar



Sample Poems from the Collection
(posted with permission)

God Take the King! by Stephen Sanders Ye ask me why I sail the seas beneath a flag stained black, Why I risk both life and limb and take the pirate tack? The answer is an easy one, a song I love to sing, After years of his bloody taxes, I’ve come to hate the king! I bear the marks upon me back of scratches from his cat: Too many times I’ve come up short when ’is Majesty passed the hat. Between his taxes and me debts I were stretched as thin as a blade And it doesn’t change me hate one bit that this bed is one I made. For a king sits on the throne by grace to lift his subjects up And not to snatch the bread and meat of which their children sup. I’d’ve paid me taxes if I could, I swear to this on High, But I fear I’m weak, because instead, I heeded me family’s cry. Now taxes are a necessary thing, of that I be quite sure, If a governed land we want to have these levies we must endure. But never get behind, me friends, pay all your taxes now For paying but the portion you can the damned King will not allow. And once he’s got his hooks in ye, yer life is a living hell, Ye canna’ rest a moment ’cause he comes to where ye dwell. At pike point he collects your pay before it can be spent On niceties like milk or shoes or even to pay the rent. Me youngest he died coughin’ after a winter without a coat, Me eldest drowned in a summer storm workin’ on a fishin’ boat, Me daughter traded her childhood for pennies to help our plight, Until one cold, dark evenin’, when we lost her to the night. Me wife, me darlin’ Maggie, could’na stand to live like this, So she drank a dram of poison and waited for Death’s cold kiss. But the poison didn’t kill her; it simply stole her sight, And lost in all this darkness she became a Bedlamite. Now all me stanchions are overboard, me children, me lovely wife, So I spends me time in the sweet trade, I live the pirate life. No more will I pay me taxes with coins a coppery-red, The only tax I’ll pay the king is shot that’s made of lead. But don’t ye waste a tear, shipmates, feelin’ sorry for the likes of me, For, in truth, I’ve come to love this life a’ sailin’ on the sea. There’s rum, there’s women, there’s adventure, and sometimes even gold, And maybe me own ship someday if I live to be that old. And don’t forget, me hearties, death is everywhere at sea. The life of a seadog is a dodgy one, as I’m sure you’ll all agree, And someday I’ll find me doorway among these many harms And go to spend eternity in me lovin’ family’s arms. Copyright ©2008 Stephen Sanders

Remembrance by Pamala A. Williams I sit upon the gunwale At the twilight of the day And think about my life that was And about my life that may ’Twas glorious, the love I had And grieved when it was lost And as the storm of life did blow The ship of me was lost I think about him often When work and time allow A simple scent, a memory I grieve still, even now But here upon this ship of wood I work to reclaim my life My mates are friends, like family They mellow out my strife The lookout says to look ahead The boson says set sail The captain says I’m not alone As the winds begin to wail For, though we be a mighty crew We each have sorrows of past And everything must come to an end For only the sea will last Copyright ©2008 Pamala A. Williams

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