“Saw a poem float by just beneath the surface”
– Jim Harrison ~ Songs of Unreason
A wrecking - that's what it was
out of a bay's stormy waters, the ship appeared
the perilous pitch and toss powered by a gibbous moon
her bowsprit like a readied sword fighting the blind
and backward drag, riding the surges harder and harder inland
five fishbone masts stood out, half-rigged
torn and billowing like the sleeves of the drowned
arms making one last bid to heaven
in all the wind and bluster I held my ground
gesticulating with a storm lantern from the shore
each swing willing them back, pulling them on
to the dread harbour of a wretched reef
and as the thunder rolled away
a child went wading in the silent, stranded pools
she stood on a moon, reflected out of bright blue skies
and beneath the surface, a stoppered ship-in-bottle
becalmed with all sails set and on each small white wing
some lines of poetry, just visible: "Now sleeps the crimson petal,
now the white; Nor waves the cypress that race" - she popped the cork
too eager to fathom the rush of water over a sinking ship
and the lines of ink wending their way in a watery whirl of a cloud
[Tennyson: from The Princess: Now Sleeps the Crimson Petal]
Keeping up with Jilly’s pick of Jim Harrison quotes as poetry prompt on Day 24 of 28 Days of Unreason
PoetryPix 
I found this to be so incredibly beautiful and enchanting! You made me feel like I was the young girl that stood on the moon. I found my heart fluttering with excitement! ❤
thank you for being so enchanted
Tremendous. The ship, you bringing it to disaster, then again as the child and the sinking of the ship in the bpttle, the poems washing away. You and the child as one, your therapists view of us at work.
had not consciously connected to the therapist but allowed the poem to drift in and out of different realities on this marvellous prompt – your feedback was tremendous!
Glorious! Tennyson and the Flying Dutchman in a child’s dream.
those Romantic poets are deeply ingrained in my dreams!
Can’t beat them in my opinion 🙂
An intriguing tale. The image of the ink washing away leaves this write on a high. Wonderfully crafted.
many thanks Vivian – had to try and ink in the floating by of the Harrison quote
You did great😊
Like a powerful whirlpool, you drew us into your magic. I LOVE this.
oh thank you for being charmed!
Glad to see y’all are carrying on with 28 Days!
following where you led Jilly