A Whale of a Poem for Kids

The captain said: "Make way to sail!
The flags are up! They're blowin' gale!
The first mate sang: "Hoist'em up me lads!
His crew jumped to, fine mates he had

The sea breeze spat a salty brine
"Anchors up, secure those lines!"
A steel blue sky swallowed up the sun
While the captain prayed to the lord above:

"Protect us God from the mighty sea
We pledge our will and trust in thee
Our stores are full, our journey long
Please match our faith with winds as strong"

The sailors strained their weathered necks
Saw billowing canvas above the decks
They knew at once they'd soon be free
With just the sea for company

Along the docks their loved one's waived
"God speed to you!" they all exclaimed
At 15 knots they sailed away
Their faces wet from salt and spray

Heading out to open sea
The captain went below for tea
The first mate came and sat he down
The waves and wind the only sound

The captain poured two cups of tea
His first mate said, "I drink to thee"
The captain smiled "To your health me lad!"
The two were friends, and for that were glad

Shall we spread the charts and plot pour course?
Aye me lad its growing dark
The stars will point our sexton true
We'll be on course when night is through

All through the ship the sailors toiled
Away from land from rock and soil
They swabbed the decks they polished the rails
They coiled the rope, they mended the sails


As nighttime fell and work was done
They went below and ate their grub
The food was good on the sailing ship
They drank their rum and smacked their lips

Sailing through a darkened sea
The sailors slept save a crew of three
Upon the deck the moon shown bright
and lit the way towards morning light

The sun rose up, as did the crew
They assembled on deck in rows of two
On the Quarter Bridge the captain stood
And addressed his crew as they knew he would

"Let us pray to god let us ask of him
To guide our way to bring us wind
Let us do the best that we can do,
Oh lord we put our faith in you"

"Me fine sea lads we've far to go,
to catch our whales, to bring them home
The sea is deep the water cold
Throw hard, aim true and fill our holds

Make sharp ye harpoons
Make strong all yea knots
When you hear "Tha she blows!"
Give it all that you've got"

The first mate scanned the shinning sea
Saw waves were building steadily
The white caps told him to be prepared
A storm he knew was in the air

The captain saw his first mates eyes
"No storm will take us by surprise"
He gave his orders to the crew
They knew they had a job to do

They shimmied up the wooden masts
They furled the sails both fore and aft
Hanging far above the ship
They prayed to god they wouldn't slip

The storm approached fast from the east
They rain came pouring down in sheets
They waves hit hard from stern to bow
Sending tons of water crashing down

The captain at the helm held tight
He fought t the storm with all his might
His battered crew contained their fright
As the storm raged on into the night

"Man over board! Starboard side!"
"There he is"! A seaman cried
A line was thrown, he lost his grip
As below the waves they saw him slip

The sea had swallowed up their mate
The ocean's wrath had sealed his fate
They lightening flashed, the thunder roared
As tears from god, the heavens poured

As quickly as the storm had come
The stars broke threw the clouds above
The winds died down the rain it ceased
Their fallen mate was now at peace

Down below the seamen bailed
They mopped and cleaned and filled their pails
They stood in water knee deep high
Working hard the could to make everything dry

Two weeks at sea, the storm in their past
The weather was holding they prayed it would last
On deck they erected a plaque for their friend
And they knew when they died
They would see him again

Way up north off the Iceland shore
A sailor perched in the crows nest saw
Tons of whales with their blow holes spout'n
"Thar she blows"! There's too many to count em'"!

The first mate knocked on the captain's door
"Off the stern sir, whales galore"!
They captain queried, "hump, blue or sperm"
"Looks like sperm sir a whole bloody heard"

Throughout the ship excitement poured
"Lower ye boats", the first mate roared
Six men in each, two-to-an-oar
Their whaling armada was ready for war

Attached by rope the whale boats raced
The oarsmen rowed at furious pace
Pulling up beside a cow
Harpoons went flying from stern to bow

The sharpened points of the harpoons struck
As spouts of blood from the whale hide gushed
The deep blue sea was now deep red
From her gapping wounds she would soon be dead

Massive was this coal black sperm
Her will to live like a fire burned
Down below the waves she dived
Towing her hunters in their whaleboats behind

They men in their boats held fast to their lines
She would pull them under if she could and she tried
From under the surface she breached one more time
Her blowhole spat blood, she was ready to die

They battle was over she rolled on her side
They whalers had won, and it filled them with pride
There was gold in that blubber just waiting inside
"Well divvy her up lads like pieces of pie"

Along side their ship they went straight to their tasks
They took to the whale with the knife and the axe
The hauled blubber on board in chunks and in blocks
They'd have plenty to sell when they got back to dock

"Enough"! cried the captain. "We hunt not to kill
We take what we need No more than our fill
Be wary me lads there may come a time
When whaling will cease, we must keep them alive

And so they sailed home with their cargo of oil
And light for their lamps from the blubber they boiled
They'd never forget what their captain had said
And they prayed for the whales and the soul of their friend.