Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Ferry Fugue

Image borrowed from Yahoo


Ferry Fugue

There you stand spread-legged
against the Salish wind,
with the wide white deck beneath you
and the autumn’s chill knifing
through your long coat,
fluttering the silken ends
of your East Indian scarf,
wearing stylish sunglasses
as a wind break, feeling coquettish
with your tall collar up
like a dun spinnaker before the breeze--
hands deep in your warm pockets,
smiling and humming a lovely melody
winged to you by gulls,
and the boisterous thump-thump
of the great ship’s throbbing engines,
mixed with the lilt of children’s laughter
and the woodwind bark
of someone’s lap dog left in a car,

the ferry blithely parting the grey-gray water,
churning up salty foam under its bow,
slicing fast through sun breaks and shadow
while you get a faint whiff of neighboring isles,
seeing that great piles of bleached driftwood
seem to form the beach’s necklace,
with the forest as coif,
and kelp as clasp;
your kind of jewelry.

Glenn Buttkus November 2010

Listed as #12 over on Magpie Tales 40


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21 comments:

Tess Kincaid said...

What a beautiful, evocative picture. I love how you used both the English and the American spelling in "grey-gray". I've always thought the English version was a bit more beautiful.

"...beach’s necklace, with the forest as coif, and kelp as clasp"

Just gorgeous.

This one might be my favorite of yours, Glenn. Do I always say this?

Helen said...

Glenn, this is beautiful! Each word, each line, each emotion.

Paul Bauck said...

"Beautiful!"

Paul

Glenn Buttkus said...

Willow, you charmer, you. Should I stop writing now that I have provided you with a favorite? Not. We both seem to the the presidents of each other's poetry fan clubs; neat, enit?

Helen: Thanks, love your stuff too.

Kristen Haskell said...

I love that you used the word coquettish as a feeling more than an action. I think your work is brilliant.

Everyday Goddess said...

so rich and lovely, this is my first time around here, which I will remedy right now by following.

Suz said...

Oh dear I just loved this
I think I will go and read it again!
..quite beautiful in imagery

Jean Sullivan said...

Your poem is exquiste . . .

The phot is ok, but I'd like to see the one with the coat flowing in the breeze . . . smiling.

Grey-gray . . . wonderful.

Myrna R. said...

I loved this - very sensual and loving.

Martin said...

"..the lilt of children’s laughter
and the woodwind bark
of someone’s lap dog.." I think this quite wonderful.

Roger Kuhrt said...

Glenn: a very nice piece!!!

Cheerfully, Roger

Adrian Sparks said...

Beautiful.
Just took me there.
Thanks!

Adrian

Bekki Bergeson said...

The Ferry Fugue certainly evokes a mood!

Bekki

Reflections said...

Your evocative words ferried me right along the short trip... beautiful write.

Susannah said...

Beautiful, evocative, a pleasure to read. Such a glorious bit of writing, I loved it!

Mrs.Trellis said...

Good work, Glenn. I can't add much to the praises above!

Berowne said...

"A lovely melody, winged to you by gulls."
Good!

Linda Bob Grifins Korbetis Hall said...

lovely word painting.

Jingle said...

Happy Tale telling..
the image is eye opening.

Tumblewords: said...

Finely penned, this one is worth several reads or more! Wonderful imagery...

Carrie Van Horn said...

Glenn this is beautiful! :-)