there was a day
and it reminds me of
you appearing
out of the fog-
a comfort
in the the memory of your
"yes, i understand"
that felt solid enough to hold my weight
and if i say that such perception is rare
sailing through thick fog in a stiff breeze
on watch
on the bow
visual acuity enhanced by listening and
identifying vessels by the different engine sounds
and the direction
and whether they were approaching
or moving away
is not the place for the inattentive
out of the fog and moving fast in silence
directly on the bow
appeared a very large ketch under full sail
"turn left 20º"
was my instruction to the helmsman
she passed so close i could read
"whitehawk" on her rail

Whitehawk by Bruce King
was inspired by L. Francis Herreshoff's Ticonderoga.