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Smuggler's Boat

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February 8, 2025


 

Migrants on the move from violence
their only possession
breath-space on a smuggler’s boat
secured with back-bent harvests 
in pretzel-bent systems
weight of crates of strawberries 
hoisted on hell-bent backs
just trying to reach Spanish-shores’-east 
from Moroccan beach with a camel-mystique
—the seaway west of Africa 
a rags-wearing-flotsam grave

migrants on the move from Cameroon 
die —or survive 
a militia-cocktail blend of balaclava terror
jihadists and bandits with morality mills low on grist
infest desert sands like scorpions
bullets sharp as cactus spines
and male instruments of rape 
piercing bones and soft tissues and psyches
instruments rejecting life   instruments injecting horror 
migrants on the move find more violence

migrants pray for food-filled days
wasteland-vultures and water-rats prey
on prayerful fearful like they’re bleating beasts
men  women and children  
herded onto a fishing vessel— a sickly casket
too small  way too small
for all the  men  women  and children
oh how hollow-eyed babies cling to milk-less mothers 
bellies stinging with hunger
eyes wringing til dry
human smugglers grinning
pockets overflowing with high tides of gold

breath-space on a smuggler’s boat their only hope
though distant shores stingy with dingy castaways–

lantern’s light tries to melt their fright
stringy muscles straining like ropes 
brined-eyes blaming the night for ambush
shark-teeth-waves gnashing the hull
maelstrom pulses swashing whitewashing vein walls
just trying to cross  just holding on  just trying to live
but the ravaging waves— waves with a savaging swing
swing the frail boat with no sail  
swing a grim-reaper-boat with a dead motor
swing a boat to fling its human cargo 
into thrashing switchblade waves
knifing the belly-light out of the lantern 
cutting rag-wearers from the boat in unholy baptize
gutting skies of far-sighted stars

desperate gasps for air 
fill spaces between slap and splash 
of brown hands on water
a child here   a baby there  
slipping from slippery maternal grasps
uglifying their faces
displaced from their breath-spaces 
by death roll of the merchant-serpent they ride
cold lips blush blue as cyanosis-seas fill sinking lungs
suspended bodies writhe in fluid ballet
til surrendering in tender mercy splendor
like fetuses curling in midnight amnion
—non-umbilical   unbiblical
migrants’ drowned-mouths-open  screaming silent

swells wear a tin-foil facade in morning tide  
sea-sins forgiven with christen of lavender light
on lullaby currents they ripple toward that distant island
corpses tossed and turned till ropey-muscles relaxed 
~d ~r ~i ~f ~t ~i ~n ~g ~
like unrolled unmoored ribbons of kelp   
to Spanish-shores’-east on a seraph sea
bodies populate sandflats rising up from a falling tide 

migrants on the move  even in death
reaching their final destination

Copyright © | Year Posted 2025




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Date: 2/10/2025 2:10:00 AM
Excellent poem despite the sad imagery and tales on the high seas and in reality elsewhere. God created man and pot him in an exotic garden. All of us sinned and the result is horrible. Will we ever learn? Once again, exquisite if sad poem.
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Susan Ashley
Date: 2/10/2025 9:34:00 AM
Dear Victor, indeed, when we sin the results are horrible. Unfortunately, humanity can't seem to rise above it. I wish kindness ruled the planet instead of misery, greed, hate and exploitation.. alas, this world will never be a Garden of Eden. Thank you for sharing your enlightened thoughts with me. Your gracious visit is truly appreciated. Warmest wishes my esteemed poet friend.. ~Susan
Date: 2/9/2025 6:36:00 PM
There is a lot of unspeakable tragedy here that you have managed to write ( with so much heart and kindness and empathy) your metaphors are healing power. <3
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Susan Ashley
Date: 2/9/2025 6:51:00 PM
Ah, my dear poet friend, Paige, these tragedies can be so difficult and painful to acknowledge. It’s almost unfathomable but it is a reality for so many. The indifference to suffering, the exploitation of the suffering is hard to comprehend. Man’s inhumanity to man is alive and well I’m afraid. Thank you for sharing in this heartbreaking scene with me. The beauty of your empathy shines, my sweet poet friend. Warmest wishes.. ~Susan
Date: 2/9/2025 8:25:00 AM
Susan, dear friend, dear poet Never have I seen you use your poetic voice to show the depravity of man, it hits hard. Allowing your mind to describe the scene must have been a profound emotional experience. This dark scene is outstanding in its wording but so very sad in its content
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Susan Ashley
Date: 2/9/2025 10:21:00 AM
Frederic, dear friend, dear poet, indeed this poem is very sad, heart-wrenching in content. I took my time writing this so I could highlight the hardships, evoke a visceral reaction, try to effectively capture the misery of migrants who are in dire circumstances.. it's almost unconceivable to imagine but reality makes this all too real for far too many migrants on the move from war, poverty and famine. I have written about the depravity of man before.. may I direct you to my poems Escape Of The Bluesman's Song (about Southern slavery) and An Omen of the Taste of Twilight (about the genocide of Native Americans and extermination of wolves as the western frontier expanded). Thank you for sharing in this poem with me, your thoughts are treasured, your shining friendship truly appreciated. Warmest wishes.. ~Susan
Date: 2/9/2025 7:07:00 AM
Talk about gut-wrenching / WOW, Susan! Spectacular rendition of an all too familiar tragedy on the high seas. Your imagery, imagination and display of electrifying emotions are beyond reproach and quite simply - untouchable by all others. Bravo again dear lady of poetic performance. Kudos, Terrell
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Susan Ashley
Date: 2/9/2025 9:54:00 AM
Dear Terrell, thank you for sharing in the emotions and imagery of this poem with me. To know that many people endure desperate hardships to escape violence, war and famine is truly heart-wrenching. To feel compelled to leave one's homeland and suffer exploitation, more violence, more hunger, disability and death only speaks to the terrible conditions one faced at home. Those without a stable homeland and government are truly lost and bereft. Your thoughts are treasured and the beauty of your empathy shines. Warmest wishes my poet friend.. ~Susan
Date: 2/9/2025 6:07:00 AM
Oh boy. Since my contest I've been exposed to these graphic tales of terror and they are gut punchers. This one no exception. The grim reaper boat, sea water filling the lungs, splashing, thrashing, only making it to the promised land as corpses. What a world we live in. Huge fave on this
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Susan Ashley
Date: 2/9/2025 9:44:00 AM
Dear Tom, see what you started?! Lol! I had been working on this poem for a while and just had to illustrate the inhumane horrifying way ordinary people seeking an ordinary way of life are marginalized, unfortunately politicized, capitalized (on) and victimized. Those without a stable homeland are truly lost and bereft. I treasure your thoughts and I am honored by your fave. Thank you for sharing in this scene with me. Warmest wishes my inspiring poet friend.. ~Suze P.S. Big thanks for the recommendation to our poet friend Terrell :)
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Tom Woody
Date: 2/9/2025 9:29:00 AM
:)
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Terrell Martin
Date: 2/9/2025 7:10:00 AM
Thanks for the recommendation to stop be here and check out Susan's "Latest & greatest." Neither she nor you have disappointed (as usual). /// Terrell
Date: 2/9/2025 12:37:00 AM
It's so sad Susan, I can't even express in words the devastation. You've done so well telling the stories they endure, and those not so lucky. You've reminded me that this is a world matter and not just in the States. Faving and keeping close to my heart. Stay warm my poetess. Friend ~ Anaya
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Susan Ashley
Date: 2/9/2025 9:23:00 AM
Dear Anaya, my soulful poet friend, indeed you're correct, this is a "world matter and not just in the States." I chose to show that migrants around the world are facing similar dire situations and tragic outcomes. Unfortunately, many governments around the world treat migrants like pariahs and sadly they suffer a sad fate for just wanting safety, work, food and comfort from war, violence and famine... what any and every human wants. The beauty of your empathy shines my sweet friend. Thank you for the honor of your thoughts and fav! You are held in my truest appreciation. Warmest wishes.. ~Susan
Date: 2/8/2025 10:10:00 PM
So tragic Susan, most are fleeing from wars and conflicts and just want a safe and better life for their families. Smugglers charge extortionate prices often overcrowding boats that are not seaworthy and many journeys end in tragedy. Powerful writing Susan. Enjoy your weekend. Tom
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Susan Ashley
Date: 2/9/2025 9:04:00 AM
Dear Tom, thank you for your heartfelt comments about the plight of migrants on the move. The beauty of your empathy shines from a tender heart and soul. Its a dangerous, inhumane world, especially for those who are powerless, homeless, voiceless and ultimately deemed worthless by so many societies around the globe except for how migrants can be exploited. I treasure your thoughts, my poet friend. Warmest wishes for a happy weekend.. ~Susan

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