Expatriate

...inspired by 'With a Photograph to Zell'
   by Hart Crane.  


We scan the skies as vapor sails,
made wide by distance, destinations
guessed at, criss-cross trails
of global peregrinations;
two of thousands flying high
'til touchdown, from a roaring to a sigh. 

Time and separation matter not,
our spirits meld where'er we land,
cities mysterious and grand,
confidantes, a melting pot.
In early years we settled down,
Republic versus Queen and Crown,
three thousand miles, an ocean's span
of redefining can't and can. 

An innocent, so far abroad,
an interstitial, like a fraud,
forever seeks the real me
while clinging to your constancy;
expatriate, with memories of
England dear, the land I love.
Copyright © | Year Posted 2009

Poem

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Devonshire Avatar
February 15, 2009 at 11:06 AM
Dear Keith, this is a loving, moving tribute to your native country. I can feel your sense of longing for England. Well done! I love your work and am adding you to my favorites. Thanks for your kind thoughts on "Poetry?" - Carolyn
Golden Avatar
February 12, 2009 at 7:28 PM
What a beautiful piece, Keith! This line is a knockout: "forever seeks the real me while clinging to your constancy;" Love it. Donna G.
Suzadail Jr. Avatar
January 27, 2009 at 4:13 PM
Gotta listen to Jimmy Buffet sing "Banana Republic" on expatriated Americans. I have a lifetime love affair with the sea and a longtime love affair with England, though I've only been there for a few moments. Between Sherlock Holmes, Alistair Sim, and the old WWII British war movies as well as James Bond, I need to visit some day and stay a while. God Bless. Vince
Mac Donald Avatar
January 22, 2009 at 3:23 PM
Hi again Keith! This is outstanding...true to the Bickerstaffe form!:) One can feel the yearnings of the expatriot, whose love and loyalty to his homeland faithfully followed in his travels. "the melting pot" might hold diverse ingredients, however, the 'pot' itself was carried with him. Wishing you the best! God bless you and yours...Love, Mikki
Gass Avatar
January 22, 2009 at 11:47 AM
I have always loved the tributes to Hart Cranes works that you have written. Soft, flowing and beautful. Your home lives in your heart no matter where you live. Awesome write, Keith. Love, Robin
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