***
“Yo-ho, Yo-ho a pirates life for me” they sang. Mullins and Skylights were leading the crew of the Jolly Roger in a rousing rendition of the captain’s favorite song. They were trying to cheer him up, break the slump he had been in for almost a year.
The door to the stateroom opened and the first mate, Mr. Smee, stepped on deck. His face was drawn, the black circles under his eyes contrasted sharply with his long white hair. The crew stopped singing and looked to Smee for a sign. He shook his head and dejectedly walked to the poop deck. Captain Hook was still in the doldrums it seemed.
Hook hadn’t always been a nasty pirate. His seafaring career had begun as a poet pirate, and though he was an accomplished buccaneer, he was a phenomenal poet. He wrote the lyrics of Yo-ho, arguably the best known pirate song in the world. Not to mention the ever popular, “Yo-ho-ho and a bottle of Rum.” Some of his best work, that.
Hook was entering all the pirate poetry slams, raking in the booty, amassing more treasure with his poems than his pillaging.
Then the Pan arrived in town. Called himself ‘Peter’ – he was a master of Couplets. Word spread that the two were gunning for each other. Inevitably, it came to pass that Hook and the Pan were facing off in the finals of the “Neverland Grand Slam” when it happened. The judges called for… Haiku.
The Captain failed. With only five fingers on one hand and a hook on the other, he couldn’t count the syllables for the second line. He cried out and sank to his knees on the deck, beaten.
Peter was the champion.
Hook slipped into a funk that day, sequestering himself in his cabin on the Jolly Roger, anchored in this harbor ever since. No more plundering or looting. No kidnapping, murder, or ravaging either. But worst of all, no more sonnets! Alas.
***
Here’s how it worked this week. The Trifecta prompt is one word, its third definition must be used and there is a limit of 33-333 words.
The word is:
FUNK (noun)
1 a : a state of paralyzing fear
b : a depressed state of mind
2 : one that funks : COWARD
3 : SLUMP <an economic funk> <the team went into a funk>Again, I trust that I will be advised if I have broken any rules. I’m still pretty new at this!
I am pleased and proud to announce that this posting was chosen as the second place winner in the Trifecta Challenge “Trifextra: Week 103“. Thanks to everyone. I am humbled. Gold went to The Word Pirate and it was well deserved. Bronze was awarded to Kymm in Barcelona. Everyone who entered deserved an award – Congratulations.
tnkerr-Writing Prompts and Practice 