Watrerfront Watch

smoke, sky trails.
the tug turns, squirms,
then steers upriver.
the wheat has to move.
but with all that commotion,
you’d think a warship was out there.

today no sun.
the somber air is thick.
I watch a gull poke blood thirsty
into the glistening waves.
in life nothing dies easy.

our vessel was strong, upright
but we let it drift
into shallow seas.
the wheel house broke.
we were helpless.
what could we salvage?
all we could do was
watch it reach bottom.

today dockside,
I wander. seek answers.
I hear my gravelly gut speak.
my vanity and quiet listenings
know it's over.
if I could liquefy myself,
sliver into the river
and float out to sea, I would. 
then rain and sunshine would be the same.
yet today I feel I should slay the dragon.
kick the dirt.  emerge from my silence.

I pick up my stride.
flash on a red skirt right ahead of me.
interesting.
look at her shiny buttons.
she's tall. I like those curls,
what's she thinking?
our eyes meet.
our thoughts crisscross.
I felt there was no one
left alive for me.
but that's changed.
I know there's more from where she came.
yes I'm back. 
life's good fire just grazed my lips,
and I smell pasta.
yes, I'm back.