Long John Looks back

He was a good lad,

a right good lad. 

I liked the boy well, 
he had a lot 

of possibilities.

Mighta been

the kid I never had.

Could-a taught him

a good trick or two

for making his way.

But, when you came

right down to it,

he was one of them –

not exactly gentry

his own self, but

fixing to earn their praise

and respect, and get on

that way, rising 

by virtue of virtue,

you might say.

Ah, Jim! I was never

going let them kill ye.

Too bad we didn’t both

get away together

with all that treasure. 

It could have been

a grand life. But there –

I’m getting too old

to travel with youngsters.

And me pretty parrot …

ah, she’d have got jealous
would Captain Flint,
and I couldn’t have that.
Been with me a long time,
that cranky old bird.

Robert Newton as Long John Silver, in the 1950 Treasure Island movie. Image: Public Domain.

Poem written for The Villain Speaks, Day 15 of April Poetry Month at 'imaginary garden with real toads'.