For Katie by Paul Ferlitsch

For Katie by Paul Ferlitsch (22) On the ocean, on the high seasWere the captain and his crewSailing eastwards, months at sea now.Sought a beauty fine and true Through the waters, naked lovelySwam the girl who was the prize.‘O to catch her! Ageless treasure!’Said the sailors between sighs And then at long last, and with a net castThat water nymph was brought on board.As he chained the pretty haulThe captain shouted rum for all Straight below deck, bundled underTo the specially designed cage.Went she freely, and with smilesFor what is jail without age? But from that first day, from the onsetThe ship saw problems grow most grave;The sailors maddened, captain sightless.Vessel crushed beneath a wave The cage bars rusted from the saltThe sailors’ skeletons did not mindOut she swam away without a worryO my darling, dreadful sorry. *** In a café, by a marketSits the same girl, finely dressedBesieged by standard would-be suitorsShe is clearly unimpressed. Spurns she one man, too persistentSays to hell, his affections, send.He walks out and jumps in traffic“Fare thee well…” and meets his end Then another, and a thirdSo many as to be absurd.But such constancy in decline!I resolved to make that darling mine. Went we places, different beachesAnd whispered lovely things and moreAnd robbed a bank! The cashiers boundBlew the safe and out the door. Until one day, awful SundayShe resolved to swim the seaAnd Lord knows I am no swimmer!Therefore she was lost to me. How I missed her! How I missed her!Would that I could swim through time.O my darling, dreadful sorryWould that I had kept you mine. *** In the paper, five months laterRead a story from the horn.Innocents freed and villains vanquishedShe the picture, could have sworn Went to Algiers, joined the legionGave my word to fight for FranceVolunteered against those piratesGave it thought and took the chance. Marched we at them, my battalionPaid to stop the Bandit King.‘Onward!’ to cheering men I said‘We've been tasked to take his head!’ And all that time I, although searching,Never found the girl I sought.Until one day in a canyon;The pirates trapped, the battle fought. We were many, and far strongerYet one by one my men did die!But the culprit was apparent;A wrathful beauty fighting nigh. Cartridge necklace, coloured sabreIn terms of heads she made it rain!Dropped my rife, when I saw herKnew I’d not need it again. Final meeting of our eyes,As she split me at the waistO my darling, dreadful sorry!Would that we could have embraced.