Suzette Richards Poet Other

Notes About The Poem

 

POETIC FORM: Tanka prose

30 May 2021

coracle: (n) a small round boat made of wickerwork covered with a watertight material, propelled with a paddle.

offing: (n)The sea-level horizon is the geographic horizon at sea level. One of the best places to see the sea-level horizon is a beach. The ocean and the sky provide a clean, flat line where the Earth seems to meet the sky. If you’re standing on the beach looking out at the sea the part of the sea that ‘touches’ the horizon is called the offing.

 

The Fisherman

The crying child wipes his nose on his mother’s grimy skirt which she had tried to wash this morning, but the ingrained dirt from the pulpy alluvium has permanently stained it russet-brown. She no longer noticed the malodour of the stagnant pool in the sluggish flowing river. She lights the cooking fire under the water bowl and has the handful of rice at the ready to add to the steaming basket. At least they would be eating fish tonight that her husband has caught. 

sun at offing smarts
   eyes of lone man standing
       in a coracle
               his dejected silhouette
               belies his inner resolve

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Sara Kendrick July 5, 2021 at 12:10 PM Your work is emotive and expressive. The lines remind us how blessed we are to be living in a time when many are now above the poverty level . Sara Suzette Richards July 5, 2021 at 12:42 PM Being grateful for what I have has been an eye-opener. Thank you for your kind comment, Sara :))