If you live on a small island
you need a boat and two docks:
one here and one for those
reluctant trips ashore.
For years our island dock
was a narrow nervous thread
of plywood on pipes.
Finally upper management
declared she was tired of
walking the plank to reach
the boat, or inversely,
the shore.
Consultations, planning sessions
by telephone and spiraling
protests later, a contract was awarded
and I commenced construction
of a huge L-shaped deck
over the water, and although
plans for the dock-end boutique
were shelved, it was, as they say
satisfactory.
Now, the winter’s ice in the river
could take a structure that size
for a spring vacation near Montreal.
That means we have to take the dock out
every September and erect it
every June.
If the term
moving heaven and earth
means anything
it may refer to
upping and downing
that dock.
The first time we did it,
there were six of us.
The last two times
there were one and a half
(one being one of my sons,
the half being yours truly.)
We did it again today
Fathers’ day
(or in the local family vernacular,
“Wonderful Sons Day”)
and I must say
we get slicker
and more wonderful
every time.
Amen.
[print_link]
interior
He blinks his eyes
as if to change the channel
nothing changes
he is still surrounded by rubble
buildings tossed as if by
those malicious kids next door
lying broken like their
slaughtered toy soldiers
The end of a transmission line
sparks wildly in a puddle
beside a fallen shattered elm
then stops, steaming
bitter ozone stings his eyes
and he feels something warm and sticky
his hand is clutching Gerry’s
red and orange face
like his own
made up for the game
Will it be postponed?
Is it playing on perfect green turf
in the security of the UniDome™?
He lifts his remote and presses the buttons
but the Viera™ 60″ screen is gone.
He weeps, and sits waiting for the game
to resume.
[print_link]