Tuesday, October 16, 2007

By the Sea



I used to come in former days,
to watch your dazzle shame the sun,
to listen as you’d paraphrase
the legends of leviathan.

Once I thought I understood
your idiot metronomy,
hoped your ceaseless murmur would
approximate profundity,

but now I see a tattered bird,
a parrot raised in distant lands,
squawking language never heard,
that neither of us understands.

I would have liked to learn the trick
that whittles old glass and stone
to gems the lucky children lick
and barter on the journey home.

But all our charmed summers go;
the children put their pails aside,
voyage slowly home to know
the cunning harvest of the tide.

5 comments:

Unknown said...

Ah, go and take a look at my whale pics and maybe you'll feel cheerier about the sea ;-)

Anonymous said...

"...lucky children lick and barter..."
You're so good.

S. Kearney said...

Very moving, John. I always find something I like here amongst your amazing output. Do you put up stuff penned years ago, or is all this new? And the stunning photos, which I'm pleased to see in the sidebar now; you produce a unique sight and sound.

pundy said...

Ah, excellent.

John said...

You're right, Abs, just the ticket. They're beautiful pics, and I love the fungi, too. Nicest agaricus I've seen in ages...

Leslie, you're kind. Aren't you?

Thanks, Seamus. Much of it is old, or I couldn't keep up the pace, being old myself...

Hi, Bill. I'm running to the mailbox every day now. It's like I'm waiting for a rejection slip for my collection. Can't wait to have my hands on Half Life. And thanks.