A Pier-Head Chorus

by John Masefield — a poem card from Justes Mots

Masefield's exuberant chorus captures a sailor's excitement embarking on a clipper ship, trading urban squalor for the open sea and nautical freedom. The poem celebrates maritime labor, natural beauty, and the thrill of departure with rollicking sea-shanty rhythms. It appeals to those commemorating new journeys, seafaring adventures, or celebrating the pull of freedom and wide horizons.

Oh I'll be chewing salted horse and biting flinty bread,
And dancing with the stars to watch, upon the fo'c's'le head,
Hearkening to the bow-wash and the welter of the tread
Of a thousand tons of clipper running free.

For the tug has got the tow-rope and will take us to the Downs,
Her paddles churn the river-wrack to muddy greens and browns,
And I have given river-wrack and all the filth of towns…

Themes: birthday · friendship · encouragement · new-chapter