Sun Set on the Gulf
I slept from midnight to
8 a.m.
uninterrupted by nature
or telephone.
The ocean outside the hotel window
looks peaceful,
friendly even;
it's fury is all underneath, waiting
like the day
to emerge;
meanwhile, the
waves sweep in--
clear, translucent;
golden ripples on the seafloor, the
lattice work of sun and
green glass waters...
I cannot hear the sea roar
from where I sit
(11th floor)
only the hush
of white foam
soothing
as a lullaby.
Oh Radiance
a silver swath sword
cut across the
wide blue Gulf;
the wash of waves
working their way to shore--
sun rays like tentacles, the
sea darkening
dark,
sun dappled sparkle
cloud tops along horizon
lemon-yellow
the southern says
'hasta la vista'
from its cloudy bed.
Sunset # 12
lemon-yellow sun a dot
on the exclamation point of
a golden streak from
shore to horizon:
fool's gold, a dreamy end
of waves rolling home;
roar of the breakers and
silent sun; cobalt blue
sea a churned field of
divots, ripples, cross-
hatched wrinkles...
Molten yellow glob on the
horizon, coronation of
clouds in golden beams--
I give this sunset a '10.'
Now I have the sea;
fierce, unrelenting, and
never ending, unlike me.
Sunset # 17
green jade sea and
blue cloud scene
painted by Maxwell Parrish--
waves rolling, breaking
frothing onto shore
where a guy walks alone,as
another sits with upraised
fishing pole--a mauve background.
A trawler on the curved brim
of ocean, orange streak
by Clyfford Still and
touch of gold orange reflection
on Army green Navy
blue, red specks
in the cloudy seam:
the eyes of the sunset
looking back at me.
2nd cup of coffee
and the last morning
yawn
as the great spider shines down
silvering the skein of ocean
divot-ed by waves moving
leisurely across the Gulf
wide as the biggest mouth
ever opened
and talking in a megaphoned
whisper
that everyone hears
but none
understand.
Wayne F. Burke's poetry has been widely published in print and online (including in LOTHLORIEN POETRY JOURNAL). He has published 8 poetry collections and one book of short stories. He lives in Vermont.
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