Flower Pieces and other poems :: :: University of Virginia Library

Head the ship for England!
Shake out every sail!
Blithe leap the billows,
Merry sings the gale.
Captain, work the reck'ning;
How many knots a day?—
Round the world and home again,
That's the sailor's way!

II

We've traded with the Yankees,
Brazilians, and Chinese;
We've laugh'd with dusky beauties
In shade of tall palm-trees;
Across the Line and Gulf-Stream—
Round by Table Bay—
Everywhere and home again,
That's the sailor's way!

III

Nightly stands the North Star
Higher on our bow;
Straight we run for England;
Our thoughts are in it now.
Jolly time with friends ashore,
When we've drawn our pay!—
All about and home again,
That's the sailor's way!

173

IV

Tom will to his parents,
Jack will to his dear,
Joe to wife and children,
Bob to pipes and beer;
Dicky to the dancing-room,
To hear the fiddles play;—
Round the world and home again,
That's the sailor's way!
Round the world and home again,
That's the sailor's way!