snap - Mousehole
Foreground: an old black cat with dusty fur,
low-crouched behind dustbins, biting
a lump of fatty gristle, surveilled by
a cautious seagull standing on one leg;
and, then, the harbour water, gated calm;
and, then, the harbour walls, ten foot high, more,
stretching across a mere five inches card.
Beneath them: a clean and well-brushed dog, propped
pissing on a small capstan, keen to be done
and catching up; a gang in middle age
making a noisy gestural havoc -
though one's apart - bright red hair, large boots, grin -
each clothed in artificial fabric, arse
on to granite, back against port furniture;
someone parking their car; a man hefting
a lobster pot
and above the walls' line
glittering fragments of an enormous hidden wave,
separating, coming down upon them.
The cat and gull will be quite undisturbed.
For them, the day continues as it must.
[2 changes in the second line, 1 of which was suggested by Doug Barbour and led to the second - many thanks to him]
|