A balding bloke hosing off his somewhat
beat-up fishing boat. Monterey Plein Air
Society painters out en masse, strung along
an entire half mile of prim shoreline,
easels aimed at shallow bay and wharf
from every conceivable angle…
He meets up with her exactly on schedule.
She seems pretty enough, although
distractingly smug, under the illusion
that her strict vegetarian diet
and regular strenuous workouts
will assure indefinite affluence.
1602: upon this very spot
the first mass in California held…
She excuses—must dash soon lest miss
the all-important consultation
with her investment advisor…
A whole team of fishermen
extended elbow to elbow
at the far end of a cocked pier.
They cash in on a huge
school of mackerel, squeal, reel.
Oh how those suffocating fish flip
in the air and then flap against
thick rough planks, panic-stricken…
Her sporty new BMW, Chihuahua photos
on iPhone, ranch adjacent to Laguna Seca…
At Breakwater Cove Marina one can rent
a kayak or scuba gear, take a boat tour…
Undoubtedly his whole world won’t come
crashing down…She’ll get to the bible
tomorrow…Crepes of Brittany, Palaca
Trattoria, Old Fishermans Grotto, Carousel
Candies ambient…Likely dismissive
indifference imbedded in that statement…
The bell tolls four times at city hall…
Lips that touch liquor shall never…
Circe expecting something momentous…
Pinwheels fastened to various masts
on the harbor make hay, whirring
as wires slap, chime against those
steel posts while wind quickens.
Indian Review | Author | Thomas Piekarski is a former editor of the California State Poetry Quarterly. Read his poems on Indian Review.
Indian Review | Author | Thomas Piekarski is a former editor of the California State Poetry Quarterly. His poetry and interviews have appeared in Nimrod, Portland Review, Kestrel, Cream City Review, Poetry Salzburg, Boston Poetry Magazine, Gertrude, The Bacon Review, and many others. He has published a travel guide, Best Choices In Northern California, and Time Lines, a book of poems.
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