A Land Shanty Poem by Clarence Michael James Stanislaus Dennis

Sou' sou' east, with the course set fair
Heave ho, me hearties!
On the Geelong road we're cruisin' there
Seven tars with ne'er a care
Heave ho, me hearties!

When up speaks Bill of trouble aft;
But the bos'n grinned and the skipper laughed;
An' 'e sez, 'We'll trust the queer ole craft
Heave ho, me hearties!'

Stuns'ls, mains'ls, all were set
Heave ho, me hearties!
An' the fust mate sez, 'We'll make port yet,
For the seas are smooth, so don't you fret
Heave ho, me hearties!'

But the steersman sez, 'I doubt her feel,
For she ain't responding to the wheel,
An' I got me doubts of 'r starboard keel
But heave ho, me hearties!'

There weren't no sea, tho' thegale was stiff
Heave ho, me hearties!
When this mad ole, bad ole dry land skiff
Is a total loss in 'arf a jiff
Heave ho, me hearties!

'Dry land,' the skipper sez, sez 'e,
'Is a 'ard, 'ard spot; give me the sea.'
An' so in 'ospital, sez we
With a heave ho, me hearties.