THE FOLLOWING POEM WAS SELECTED IN WINGWORD POETRY PRIZE 2023 LONGLIST.
A moonlit night at the sea
Along the wharf she walked
Upon a distant pier came she
Hesitant and nervous
With a heartfelt purpose
Boats rocking and swaying gently
Sounds of music wafting in the distance
Walked she to thank a stranger
Who’d put himself in danger
The young man he’d saved her life
When last week, she’d attempted suicide
Tired of loneliness and poverty
Of walking the streets
The daily hustle for a living
Though poor, a good being was she
Pretty and mild
A misfit to the rough life
Fending off men and their intent
Seemed the toughest of lament
Poor was he, lived alone
A family he long lost,
To illness and frostbite
In the cold mountains of great height
Now he lived by the sea
On the last pier of the wharf
On an aging barge,
Now moored to the pier
With a sign ‘Boat-for-Hire, Bait-Here’
His one room cabin
It was wooden, plain, unpainted but safe haven
Had little for furniture
The bed, a stool, the odd kitchenware, a rocking chair
His life was simple
Fishin’, food at the tavern and avoiding the odd quarrel
With a mutt named ‘Dee’
A boat named ‘Winner’
For it earned him his dinner
Remember forever does he,
His hungry childhood
His battle for survival
Of grit and revival
This night was quiet
He strummed himself a song
Of days with a family, of Maw and Paw
Of spring and daffodils
Of play and thrills
Of skipping along on a summer day
To his home, of a life gay
His recollections he clutched at
Till again, they faded away
Last week it’d happened
Days’ work over
From the beach he strolled
Hands in his pockets
His cap low, o’ver his head
Kicking pebbles down the knoll
Heard screams from the rollers at sea
Where the high rocks stood past the quay
Seemed a woman in the deep
Her arms a flailing
Looked like she was struggling
His pace quickened, then raced
Into the surf he braced
Swam strong through the breakers
Reached her body going limp
Grabbed her around under the shoulders
And swam to the shallows
A motely crowd had gathered
She was expunged of the water
Given a thorough shake
To bring her around
Questions abound
Who, why, what and whither
She came to her senses
Took in the crowd
Picked him in her sights
As she remembered the look
Of the young man, in his arms he’d took
Before she’d passed out
A sandwich and a blanket
Was offered by mariners
They’d stayed with her
With advice to carry the good fight
Then when she’was collected
They’d melted away
The boy sat by on the sand
Didn’t say much,
But stole a good glance
Despite being dishevelled,
She looked a charm
He wished she’d live on
It’d have been a shame,
If the world had lost her
It struck him perhaps
A story like his, was hers
They spoke for a while
Formal and nice
Got to know another
Just enough to know they’d no other
He offered to escort her home
She hurried to decline
She’d nowhere so a claim
So he walked her a distance
Casually, pointed to the distant pier
To a room on a barge, he called home
Invited her some day
For a meal and coffee
He gave a little money
For her way home
A meal and her rent
She didn’t want it
He said it was nothing
And off she went
In steps small
The skies blue
And so the cocky gulls flew
She turned at a distance,
Her kerchief she’d waved
As if she knew
That moment he’d save
With a hand in his pocket,
He waved back
With a sadness and a sigh
He picked his dreary way to the cabin
Suddenly he fell solemn
He wished there was someone waitin’
He’d met many a girl
Both shrewd and coy
Yet, something had stirred big
In his heart today
There was a rare presence
Beauty, dignity, angelic
And the good lord had been kind
To her being and eyes,
A warmth formed in his mind
The girl returned to her shack
Tried to find her life back
Couldn’t get over the memory
Of the strong arms and kind eyes
T’was as, in them
Her worlds’ truth she could see
Of hard work and honesty
Of one who’d honour a family
Unlike other rogues
Who’d chase her
And she’d always stayed
A step ahead
Here was a man she thought,
Worthy of respect
After many an restless day,
She thought it was the Lords way
He’d sent he a message
And with it a man
For a chance he was giving her,
So a new life began
After much uneast and disquiet
She thought, to His word she’d ponder
That’d she’d take up the young man’s offer
For coffee and chatin’
For the boy,
Was now in a churn
The young girl had upset
The balance in turn
He couldn’t get her off his mind
If only they could meet again
And talk endless,
Of dreams and a lifetime
While the girl decided
That Sunday’d be it
She go to Church,
His blessings she’d get
A poor girl was she
Looking pretty
In the only floral decent dress she had
No nice belt, no stockings, simply clad
With no ornaments to adorn
Delicately like a tiara to her hair
She had daisies upon
Her auburn hair
Framed her noble face
Nubile figure and womanly grace
She sat through the sermon
With shut eyes and a prayer
Knelt at the pews,
Begged the Lord to be there
She left the Church,
Picked a clutch of flowers
She sat in a park pondering
Nervous that she may seem forward
She almost gave up her will
Lest her notions be deemed wayward
Hours went by
With the sun going down
The flowers she held on
To think, they may brighten a corner
Of his cabin by the old schooner
She stood up, a little hungry,
But decided on walking
She walked, not knowing
If at home he’d be
Walked a long hour did she
Reached the waterfront
She could see, the end of the wharf
Then the Cabin at a distance
Past piers, boats and trawlers
The cabin drew near
Till it was clear
She never been here
But it seemed so dear
Something about it
Plucked at her heart
The door shut,
The curtainless paned windows open
Never mind the wooden planter-stand stood broken
‘Winner’ was at the moornings
The mutt ‘Dee’ was on the deck
Resting his chin on his paws
The Master would be there
Her heartbeat she could hear
As her footsteps drew near
‘Dee’ raised his head
His growl turned to a wagtail and woof
“Dee whose there?”, was the voice from within
The boy stepped out
Stopped, rooted to his spot
An apparition he’d witnesth
Coming down the steps
Of the Pier to the deck
The short squawks of the gulls
The long toots from the hulls
The soft orange setting sun
Right behind her
As she slowly decended
Wispy clouds behind
A halo did bind
Seemed a heavenly being
In human form
So comely, so pure
Her joy knew no bounds
As her heart thumped in her chest
She dared not speak
Lest, she utter gibberish in haste
So, quiet was she,
With a beautific smile
It spoke a million words,
As did her arrival
The smile in his eyes,
Told her she was right
To have listened to her heart
And trusted His advice
At that moment to her, he was her prince
And for him, she a princess
Yet they dared not show
They dared not say
The dream was just beginning
They wished it to stay
In his misty eyes, she gazed
The tenderness they held
He took off his hat
Offered her a chair
On the deck they sat
Now in the twilight,
He turned up the lantern to full flame
The deck now aglow, a swain (a young lover)
Hesitant at first,
Then broke into laughter
As he stumbled over a pail
And fell on his after
That unwound them a bit
Yet, some awkwardness remained
They both wished the evening to stretch
The sun to hang orange
Amid the changing colour of the bay
Alas they could both exclaim,
‘What a lovely day, what a lovely day’
The conversation began and later with song,
From stillted beginings to all night long
“Fine night isn’ it?”, said she
“Swell, swell”, says he
“Where’s the music coming from?”, Says she
“The phonogram on the old barge beyond”, said he
“Can you sing?” she asked
“A bit”, he yielded
“So please sing for me”, she softly pleaded
For a man to write a poem, sing for her,
Was a simple girls dream
He picked his banjo and strummed
His eyes shut, his baritone he summoned
He sang many an ode and ditty,
And she’d join in
Time flew,
Presently she asked him
If he was hungry she could fix him a meal
He shrugged his shoulders
And respectfully lead her indoors
There were two lamps in the cabin
He turned them up and lit an third
The cabin looked brighter than ever before
As if happy tiddings were near and more
He went out and sat with Dee at his feet
Dee’d never seen his friend
So at ease and in peace
Looked like his pal
Would finally get his gal
It’d taken her longer
Than he’d thought it would
A quick bacon, beans, bread and coffee would be good
She emerged from the cabin,
In a beaming smile
As if she had a secret,
Waved him in, with pride
He stepped into the cabin
And was taken aback
He stood and scatched his ‘ead
Was this his shack?
It was all tidied ov’r
Everthing had a place
Ever corner dusted,
And sheets laid
The desk had a cover,
In a glass the flowers it held
The cabin had turned a home,
From a shack instead
The table was laid neat
With the available tableware
The food looked gourmet
It was as if in the moment they both could see
A life they’d both hoped, coming to be
He washed his hands,
Under her smile and loving eye
They sat for their dinner, coffee and pie
They both washed the dishes,
Then went and sat on the deck
Too much was going on,
In both their heads
Both curious about the same
Both uncertain and shy
A long pause and he said,
“What brought you here today?”
“I wanted to thank you for saving my life
You had that look so dear,
I believed you’re someone, I could talk to awhile.
Are you?”, said she hopefully
“I suppose, if you think so”, says he
They talked as if the morn would never rise
And the night would keep them company
The twinkling stars and the lapping waves
All in gentle symphony
As the morning drew near
He said in hesitation,
“I’ve been thinking,
I’ve done alright and caused no ruckus
I’m honest, and wouldn’t mind a missus,
Since I’ve met you, you seem a good sort
Frankly I’ have been thinking about you a lot
Cant’t get you off my mind”.
“Me too”, said she, expectantly
He continued, now earnestly
“Look I’m a poor man, I have little,
But I’ve got honour
And vow to always treat you with respect
If I were to beg you,
Would you give me your hand?
My life’d be made
And I’ll try hardest to respect the band
I do not have a ring,
All I have is my word”
So saying he stood
And knelt, to hold her hand
She was transfixed
As if in Church she sat
The organ played, the bells tolled
Her eyes were shut tight,
For she could hardly believe
All the life’s goodness she yearned
To come at this speed
Tears welled, held by her lashes,
Then rolled down in streams
She too dropped to her knees
And held his hands in hers
He held her,
In a protective embrace
His tears flowed too,
Having lost the battle to brace
Both had their forheads
On the others’ shoulder
No words,
Just inaudible tears
Words weren’t needed,
The silence telepathic
‘twas as if two vagarant souls lost in space
Had found their place
And so they sat on the deck with Dee
Quiet, pensive, happy all in one
Maybe a new life had begun
Words weren’t needed now
It was as if a body had found its soul
The gulls yet asleep
Stood the moments in a freeze
Both waited for sunrise and a new dawn
Looking into the distance
With a feeling of being reborn
To have a dream come true
To build a new life
Of me and you
Shots rang out, both were hit
Some hit in front, some in the back
Their eyes in disbelief,
Bewildered, from impending grief
As if was happening elsewhere, to someone else
Surely in a nightmare were they?
Dee was in shock, he darted about
None knew what happened
What it was about
About two Falls’ gone,
On a dark night
When he’d left town
With a new tackle and bait
He walked the cobbled streets
Dimlit with gaslight
Empty were they
Bar a Chaise carriage
Hurrying away
From the nearby brothel
Which rattled it’s load
Over the cobbles
A policeman on his beat ahead,
His cudgel rang on fences
Suddenly three figures
From the shadows
Exiting their ill-gotten crime scene
Jumped on the fuzz
Their intentions mean
Their dagger thrust repeatedly
And were about to slit his throat
When the boy in horror
Threw himself into their act
His young body, athletic and nimble
He was flurry or fists and kicks and jabs
Unnerved by this profusion
Of unexpected force
The trio was shocked
And retreated in haste
And lost were they in moments
In the evening haze
The fuzz bleed heavy and lay dying
Remembering his father he couldn’t save,
The boy cried out, “I’m trying, I am”
He summoned all his strength
Upon his shoulders he lifted the man
In fireman’s lift and agog he ran
Slipping and stumbling
O’er the cobblestones
Through barely lit allies and lanes
Until a clinic’s light shone
He feared his efforts may be in vain
Now handing over to the doctor, the fuzz
So fast he ran, catching his breath only
The Police station he’d reached finally
He blurted out the matter
And described the trio
Known scoundrels were they
And soon were in the net
Thrown into the clinker,
They swore they would nev’r forget
‘Bout the young man they’d find out,
And fix him good
Teach him a lesson
Get even they would
The Lord God merciful,
The policeman’s life saved
In the Town Hall,
The Police Chief and the Council
Honoured and called him
Their pride, a lad brave
That done,
He’d returned to simple life and fishing
Sell his catch by the day
Rock on his chair
And sing the evenin’s away
The trio had got bail,
And were out for revenge
It took them a few days
To find where he’d be
While he was poised for a new beginning,
They were planning his end
In the cover of darkness
They planned to clean him up
The snitching blaggard
How dare he’d meddled
With their matter
They’d show him how,
With his kind of tattler
They sneaked up in gumshoes,
Along the wharf
Keeping an eye out
For his old cabin and Winner
At a distance they saw
A light of a lamp
Strange to this hour
To have it so amped
O! it was easy to see him in the fray
Presenting himself as easy prey
There was someone with him, was it?
That too a girl, darn it!
A bit of a huddle they got into
But they weren’t the sort,
Of scruples to lose out to
A job was to be done,
And to be finished was he
If there was another
To be brought down,
So let it be
Can’t leave no snitches in crime
They spared once, this blaggard
And they’d done time
So they settled on the wharf
Behind a few kegs and barrels
They lined up their guns
And powdered their rifles
Just when they saw
The couple kneel and hold
One said in the trio,
This is best to hit them cold
They took a few moments
To breathe and aim
They let ‘em have it
In a volley of gun powder and flame
They heard the shots echo
And saw the blood spray
They watched the couple’
Fall wide-eyed, on the deck
They heard them pray
And the saw the bodies twitch
When the two had fallen still,
And hollers rose around
The dog barked incessantly
They beat a hasty retreat
And dissappreared in the night
The boatmen, fishermen,
The townsmen and women
Heard the awful deed
And morned for the ones not living
So young, such misfortune,
So terrible a death
But little did anyone know
About them or their kin
The Council and the Police Chief
Learnt of the boy,
Who they’d honoured
Decided a rare gesture
To treat the death
As a policeman’s in harness
So two grave sites were allotted
In the cemetery with respect
The parish congregated with the rest
Their graves next to the others’
The vows they’d taken,
Did partly come true
We in our hearts can read for them
‘I take thee to, to have and hold this day forward…
Till death do us apart’
The Commendation of the dying
An elegy was read by the Policeman he’d saved
He could have been the father,
Of the young boy in the grave
Their coffins lowered, the graves filled
And people departed
The two dead were poor nobodys,
At the bottom of the social tree
They’d dreamed of respect in life
Respect they did get,
But in afterlife
And so they went
Of Dee we don’t know
May still be grieving for his friends
By their graves
Oh sorry ! Their names we din’t get
Of the boy and girl
The story’s Countess and Earl
Does it matter?
Let’s just call it
A story of She and He