Word Bag
(deluxe, rope, weight, lifesaver, broom, gauges, battery, fishnet, tide calendar, cooler)
The Tide Calendar hung lopsided
its edges curled and yellow.
Water flooded the bilge
the relic listed to the port side
barnacles clung steadfast
to the thick rope tightly tied to the dock.
The cabin reeked of mildew
and stale urine. Pitted gauges
balanced haphazardly amid the dust and grime.
In the corner a couple of dead AA batteries rolled over a faded photo
of the vessel and her captain.
A beauty in her prime
she was in desperate need
of a stiff broom, spit and polish.
Rusted cans of off white deluxe deck paint
stood prominently
beneath the starboard seat cushion.
The scarred cabin door
hung on for dear life
like a holocaust survivor.
Captain Bly once a handsome rake
regularly drank
his dinner, his vessel was aptly named
The Heeia Kea Queen after The African Queen.
His cooler was always well stocked
with green bottles.
His weighty reputation had
stretched beyond the confines of the small harbor
and swept throughout the windward coast.
He always wore a black shirt
the collar ripped at the neck
thin against his salty frame.
Often comatose
he dreamt nightly
of snaring a mermaid
in his fishnet.
He was her Lifesaver.
The next day
he would wake in a cold sweat
as she disappeared
into the sea flipping her tail
splashing him with sea foam.
One fateful morning he was gone
that was better than thirty years ago
Some say that the mermaid took him
others say it was them green bottles.
Either way
he finally succumbed to his deeds.
So keep in mind
A full cooler
doesn’t float
as well as a life preserver
even if you are a lifesaver
and unless you have gills
you could wind up sleeping
with the fishes.
****
