Fisherman on The Fort Wall

I wrote this while watching an older fisherman walk around me on the fort wall while I was trying to write a different poem...the other poem was never written.

Along cobbled streets of olde
Past coquina guards and sleeping eyes
Up the hill of hidden blood
Sheltered within the wind
Sits Mr. Graybeard.

 Oriental hat shading tender eyes
Seafaring skin matching lifetime’s foe
Stretching as he holds
Line after line of time
Casting his life into the muck
His tunes whisper through the wind.

Clinging to the weathered stone
Between puffs of carbon air
Transparent string twists with every wave
Taunting living forces below
Luring any to take a bite.

Dripping through the murky mirror
Breathing life into dead weight
Line tightens,
          Pulls,
  Releases,
               Pulls   
Mr. Graybeard, King of Time
Unfurls from his perch
Fighting water’s glory.

Lamplights flicker as day sleeps
Casting shadows along coquina walls
Mr. Graybeard trudges home
Behind him hanging on a string of white
The elusive water nymph.

 

Reviews

[Shapeshifter]

My, my, how I do love a good story set to rhythm. The almost sing-song way this is written denotes a certain peace and understanding of the way the world, and more importantly, LIFE works.. He's not in a hurry, neither is the flow of time. This is how he becomes 'King'. Beautiful.

[[untitled]]

Oh, wow! This is such a cool poem. I love the language that you employ here, and the verses are so intricately woven in beautiful patterns. This is the kind of poem that I love to read. I can't even pick out a favorite stanza as I usually do, I think each and every stanza is terrific, and equally important and inspiring. Fantastic. Great work!