“At Sea”
by Bill Ward
2000
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
Migrated from bill.wards.net/blosxom on 2026-04-12