Sunday, December 8, 2013

Transatlantic

Whole sardines line the horizon,
shimmer like eyes after a hard cry.

I smear a silver bite on bread;
think miracles, loaves and fishes,
mouthfuls of ocean,
heaving waves, ways of knowing
the hands of a fishmonger,
a dash of Viking.

The tapestry is nearly done;
I complete it with a sailor's knot,
float it across the water,
add my name to the passenger list,
become next of kin,
drink a toast to St. Elmo's fire.

I let it steal my tongue;
swallow, and still find the taste of it. 


tk/December 2013


Sexy read by the dashing, bewhiskered R.A.D. Stainforth...is it my imagination...or is the boat rocking? 


18 comments:

  1. A sombre reading, the omen foretold. Wonderfully visual, and such an intriguing phenomenon. Wonderful topic.

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  2. Well I've no idea how we got to sardines but I'm glad we went.

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  3. 'add my name to the passenger list,' ~ mine too :)

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  4. Beautiful..an exotc voyage..."eyes after a hard cry."..I'll remember that...

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  5. Graceful, elegant writing; nice...

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  6. Lines like: "shimmer like eyes after a hard cry" and; "I let it steal my tongue," really awesome! I am surprised about "wings" again! Lol!

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  7. I found some holiday/religious images in this too...

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  8. Neat, to finish a tapestry with a sailor's knot.

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  9. I let it steal my tongue;
    swallow, and still find the taste of it.

    Just amazing in many instances this can happen. Just a little whiff and one is taken for life. It was a discovery. Without tasting a little one will not bother nor care. Wonderful write Tess!

    Hank

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  10. I embrace the lines /ways of knowing the hands of a fish monger/ a dash of a Viking/. This piece is multi-layered in true Kincaid style, a paean to the ocean, all the seas that surround us, sustain us, from whence we came; full of dark joy and bright alacrity.

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  11. splendid voyage , Mariner, do yourself a favor and check out the artwork of amalia.chitelescu , you wont be disappointed, she just came floating by me in this magic mirror, the internet .....
    Cheers Mate

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  12. Oh dear, no, save the tongue! You plotted my sail with this. A journey of clever visions in every line, very nice. I may have to watch St. Elmo's Fire again now.... smiles!

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  13. OMG - just last weekend my husband and I got deli egg sandwiches and coffee, drove down to the docks by our house, and fed the seagulls out the window JUST LIKE THAT PICTURE! Nearly made me choke on my tea this morning, thought someone had taken a picture of us! 8-)

    P.S. I'll take the ocean, but you can keep the sardines. I like to taste my seaside in clams and oysters instead.

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  14. What a fantastic photo-shoot expert. I liked the picture and thanks for sharing with us. Living Room Decor Ideas

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  15. Oh yes, the beard is magnificent ... the ash so long ... the inhale so deep. The poem ... so beautiful.

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  16. Your words always take me on a journey dear Tess.....always a pleasure to read your poetry. :-)

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  17. Thank you so much for your kind comments, dear readers...

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Inject a few raisins of conversation into the tasteless dough of existence.
― O. Henry (and me)