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
with its canons.

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

the waves became rough.
we tilted. wandered.
struck rocks. the hull split.
what could we salvage?
all we could do was
watch our vessel reach bottom.

today, dockside,
the gravelly air teases, feels good.
new faces, a few pitched trees
give me courtly kiss.
the breeze scrubs me clean.
my tears cast downward.
I feel a loose yearning. new imaginings crackle.

I flash on a red skirt straight ahead.
interesting. those shiny buttons
are like gold glitter, an uplifting kiss.
for a second she chops me up,
spins me around like a crashing
sea wave would.
our eyes meet. our thoughts crisscross.
what's she thinking?
I want to hear her voice.
wish we could share a tasty cream soda.
yeah, my heart has much to reveal.
my story has changed.
the good fire has grazed my lips.
I smell pasta.
yeah, I'm back, a bit more wise.