Monday, June 18, 2018

In The Boathouse


In The Boathouse

By Jeffrey M. Bowen

The deck of the old Chris Craft shimmered,
At rest in the shadows,
Silhouetted by the slits of sun
Around the doorway of the old boathouse.

The wood frame walls
Had been cured by the decades.
The walls were dark, smelled tinder dry
As if nothing had changed since 1920.
This was a dwelling place of memories.

I peered down into the clean clear water,
Saw rippling sands,
And in them my dad’s face was smiling.
The lake scent promised his fisherman’s paradise.

I kneeled in silence
On the boathouse deck.
Images of a young life drifted by,
Weaving together the boat, the lakes,
My dad and me.

I climbed down the deck ladder
And felt the cool water surround my waist.
The air hung still and warm
With the sweet feeling of summer.

As the water lapped around me
I could almost hear his voice.
Time disappeared for just a few moments.

But soon the inboard would awaken
And loosen our harbored tether.
The gentle burble of her engine
Would leave our reverie behind.

As her bow cruised into the path of sunlight,
A distant scent of Borkum Riff would linger.

FATHER’S DAY JUNE 17, 2018

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