All - Writing - Poetry

At Sea, take Two

Posted October 7, 2000 14:47 | Category: Poetry | #

Whiteness surrounds me in every direction.
Craning my neck, I stand,
Hand on the railing,
Feet spread apart on the deck.
Rising up and sliding down
Atop the heaving grey-blue

I peer into the silent dampness, seeing nothing.
Firmly held by the fog's wispy talons,
I wait.

A gull alights on the gunwale near me
Two beady eyes amid fog-colored feathers
Stare back at me dumbly
Composing itself, it joins my vigil
Its surprisingly yellow beak
Pointing toward nowhere

I feel heat from above.
Looking up, I see the sky opening
Rent asunder by the hot glare,
The clouds part.
The sun soars high above.
Exposed by his searchlight,
The bird, the boat, and I
Are revealed to his countenance.

The wall of grey flies away;
My little universe is shattered.
I can see the land now:
Business as usual on the docks and roads,
Life goes on in the wood-frame houses.

The fog is gone,
The bird lifts off,
It is time to head back to the harbor.

© 2000 William R. Ward
All rights reserved.
Thu, 28 Sep 2000 2:15 PM
Revised Sat, 7 Oct 2000 2:45 PM

0 comments

Comments:

Sorry, posting new comments is disabled at this time. Please email me instead.

Last updated: 09/19/2007 William R. Ward, bill@wards.net