Danny Makebelieve

Pirates

by Eric Rice

The sun is up
It's a beautiful day
Danny is going out to play.

He runs through the grass
Climbs up the hill
He is headed toward the mill.

He sees the mill below him
The pond is smooth and clear
The rock wall that he'll play upon
Now is very near.

He reaches his destination
Where he'll take a stand
He surveys his entire kingdom
Feeling like a man.

The wall becomes a parapet
Of a fortress
Proud and strong
He waits upon his castle wall
His waiting is not long.

Today he defends his castle
There are pirates on the sea
It's Tim and Don, the cutthroats,
That is plain to see.

Across the pond are Tim and Don
Danny's friends are here to play
They have come to plunder
On this sunny day.

A wooden raft is on the shore
The sail has a tiny rip
But when they climb aboard
It becomes a mighty ship.

Water balloons are cannon balls
Each side has its own
In a very short time
The first one will be thrown.

The pirates ride their mighty ship
Right into Cutter's Bay
They've come to take the castle
Before the end of day.

Danny's cannons are ready
He reaches into his bag
He sees the skull and crossbones
Of a pirates flag.

The pirates wave their swords
And shout at him a lot
But Danny is the one
Who fires the first shot.

With paper hats and cardboard swords
They'll make their enemy run
For the pirates and the castle
The battle has begun.

The pirate's shake their fists at him
Then turn their ship about
"We will win this battle!"
Danny hears the pirates shout.

Now the pirate's cannons fire
Their cannon balls are true
The castle towers standing,
Are no longer two.

Danny fires back at them
A mast goes down in flames
This makes the pirates angry
And they call him awful names.

The land is very near now
Tim and Don still have hope
They'll need to climb the castle wall
So they quickly grab their rope.

All the players know
That the battle is near it's end
Danny has only two cannon balls
But he's ready to defend.

They land their ship upon the shore
And run to the castle wall
Throwing their rope way up high
As Danny stands brave and tall.

Danny stands upon the wall
Till the pirates are halfway to the top
He drops the balloons upon their heads
And hears them both go pop.

The pirates tumble to the ground
Laughing loud and hard
Danny has won this battle
So they head off toward his yard.

"What happens to the pirates?"
Tim and Don ask in fun
Danny says "They take one look at me
And both turn tail and run."

They're finished with their morning game
Their water scars are mending
To Danny's house they go for lunch
This day's fun
Is far from ending.

© 2005 Eric Rice

The author lives in Georgia, USA.

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