Blog – Missy Black and Crew

The Life of a Pirate

The life of a pirate meant signing a contract in which you state that you'd agree to work for a certain amount of time. If you deserted during this time, you could get keel-hauled (tied to the ship, then dumped overboard so that you would drown or die from the wounds received), lashed by the crew, or abandoned on an island. If you decided to steal from the team, whether gold or rationed food, you were punished by choice of the crew or captain. There were very few doctors, and little or no medicine. The carpenter or the cook were often the ones who ended up amputating an arm or leg. It usually ended in death, but this death was preferable...

Humble Beginnings

When I first put the poem of Missy Black on paper, I had no idea how it would turn out. Years ago, it was merely a fun activity to share for a poetry reading at the local library. In a few short months, it became much more than that. But I am getting ahead of myself, aren't I? So, I shall start at the beginning and go on from there. One splendidly dull day, while searching for books that could improve my understanding of the world, at the district library, the head librarian informed me of a poetry-reading that was to take place within three weeks. Although she acknowledged that I was terrified of social settings, she became fixed that I should...