The Boat

clings the land with a chain
dare not move; cannot move
and is happy doing
nothing

then comes the boatman
unstakes the chain
gathers in the links
and hauls the hulk across the grass
across stones and seaweed
across sand and pebbles
into the waiting tide
and the wooden beams come alive
as the boatman pulls the oars
pushes the bows
and all three
boat brains and sea
combine to pursue a line.

Richard Vann
8 April 2004