I stand bowed to resignation
while brooding I haunt the beach—
breathing a cloud of ghosts
from my pipe and wondering what
the ocean will teach me this day.
The waves whisper that all kingdoms
come and then pass away—
and this too shall pass.
But I am a sun-struck sailor
‘till this thirst be quenched at last
and my shipwrecked heart flies
the white flag of surrender.
I give myself up to your seasons—
your fickle storms and tides
that toss me about
like a boat on the winter seas.
Do we really know the reasons
for navigating these uncharted waters?
My heart is in splinters my dear—
Shiver me timbers!
And I’m willing to barter
this pride for your hidden treasures.
For your laughter is in the gulls,
and my weeping in their feathers
that float on Neptune’s breezes.
Yet I have no compass
nor map for this trip.
I simply sail by the moon
and try not to slip
on the salt-water tears
that circle like sharks—
X marks the spot
where you buried my heart.-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Daniel Klawitter is a member of the Colorado Poets Center and has been published in numerous journals both online and in print, including: The Atonal Poetry Review, Blue Collar Review, Cyclamens & Swords, The Journal of South Texas English Studies, Lyrical Passion Poetry E-Zine, Penwood Review, The People’s Tribune, Shot Glass Journal, and many others.
Bay Laurel / Volume 1, Issue 1 / Autumn 2012