A Rock, Three Seagulls, You
A reason to be there, I suppose,
casting a line for snappers,
the swell rising and retreating at our feet.
Three seagulls came to watch,
crowning the rock.
The sea slopped on the ledge
and gannets stole the bait
we cast far out, into deep water,
to keep ourselves from talking
about us.
You stood beside me
facing the wildness of this southern sea
both of us hoping
nothing was on the line,
no fish to kill, no hook to disengage.
I keep a picture in my mind:
a rock, three seagulls, you.
M. V. Williams is a poet and novelist. She’s old but feisty and is a member of several poetry groups. Widely published, she has won awards for her poetry, and has also published short stories, novels and non fiction. www.valentinewilliams.co.uk