Walking down the dock
hours beyond Sun’s fiery exit
minutes afore Moon’s zenith
sepia tones of the not so distant past
caught in awkward stillness
for a heartbeat, a blink, a moment.
Shadows shimmer
cement over water
masts and spreaders and rigging
night herons on swaying lines
focused on a midnight snack
shades of muted ivory, slate gray, jet black.
Under my weight she dips slightly
welcoming me home
murmur of water set into motion
waves leave our island, set to sea
touching distant shores … gold, orange, crimson
with a breath, a sigh, dreams.
August 27, 2018
Written at almost midnight after an evening at Bay Area Generations‘ 60th month anniversary reading. The poets rekindled my childhood love for poetry as I walked down the dock to Sonho and took in the still beauty of the night.
Another day with not even a whisper of wind. Mariah gazed at the mirror-like surface of the expanse of clear, blue water all around her, shielding her eyes from the glare of the unrelenting sun. It was the hottest time of the day, between high noon and sunset. She sighed and picked up her journal.
Do you have electricity and water? Heidi and Aaron get this question quite often. Yes, I am a boat. But I’m a finely appointed vessel, built to cruise the world. So although I don’t offer amenities such as a dishwasher and washing machine, I have systems that provide far more than a roughing-it camping experience. These systems are quite complex though, and we are very fortunate that our Captain is an electrician who understands the intricacies of maintaining my electrical system and will be well-versed on my new water-maker in the coming months.
Hilary McKittrick was a precocious child. She had the run of her grandparent’s Belfast farm and loved exploring the large piece of land. She often told her parents about her friends and their adventures and they laughed at her vivid imagination.
Aaron and Heidi were both raised by sailing fathers and being on or around water is as natural as walking on a sidewalk for landlubbers for them. Their prior spouses both enjoyed boating … at a much faster speed than sailing generally allows. And definitely not on a full time basis. So, neither got as much water time as they craved until they bought me. Now it’s water-time all the time!
Vivo O Sonho 