Sailors Longing For the Sea

sailors longing for the sea


O my Corinne perpetual virgin girl
swaying so slowly beneath yellow street lamp
mango lips pearl smooth skin shoulder
lifting like a wanting tide
her milky neck turned eyes closed
cotton shift tightly stretched so round
those breasts cloud white shining blue rivers
we took forsaking us down to the sea

we stroll drunk leaning hands to knees
selling Buicks to Ralph
swearing to palm trees you cannot drink
too much of rum
just sell your bad Buicks (brrgh)
& get back to sea
& eventually Corinne can never be beautiful
enough to keep the boys from the exile
their bow-legged drifting married
as they are to invisible isles
the white capped mistress
slow roll of cups
(o her breasts)
inexorable salting
their scull-eyed souls
the leathering of soft desire
the steel & fast lashing knots
who do we punish in anchored coils
the heavy nets spray & rails wrapping
O girdle womb in the womb in the womb
O whale O boat O woman O sorrow that waits
O Corinne perpetual virgin
far in the reddening distance
the floating birds wheel
& the stars cannot cut thru these decks

did you check her eyes, their wide darkness
the circumference of each & every man
damned to stumble back alone
taken to the rounded point
of the breaking bow;

o sailors the tattered sails
& veils of ragged days


Richard Lance Williams

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