Whaler's Wives

Poem by: Laird

Reads: 202 | Likes: 0 | Shelves: 0 | Comments: 3

Featured Review on this writing by DampKitten

"Oh, that’s good. The whole poem qualifies as a single sentence. Rueful and somber.

I love “December’s beach”.

I don’t know about “to gain” the widow’s watch…maybe “to keep” or “begin”. When I first read this it felt like ghosts waiting on ghosts.

Haunting.

"

Whaler’s wives

Whaler's wives have risen, for their husbands

Lost at sea, and hasten from the churchyards,

And to December's beach, to keep once more

The widow's watch, where hopefully they waited,

With flagging smiles and panicked hearts, and rain

Upon their prayer books, then tears atop their

Caskets, put low beneath that hallowed ground.

Submitted: May 28, 2022

Memoir loss

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Comments

Spyguy

A whale of a tale... And that's what she said!

Wed, June 1st, 2022 5:12pm

DampKitten

Oh, that’s good. The whole poem qualifies as a single sentence. Rueful and somber.

I love “December’s beach”.

I don’t know about “to gain” the widow’s watch…maybe “to keep” or “begin”. When I first read this it felt like ghosts waiting on ghosts.

Haunting.

Sat, June 4th, 2022 11:16pm

Author
Reply

Thanks, DampKitten. I'm going to incorporate your suggestion because I agree. Ok, yes. Improved greatly.

Whaler’s wives

Whaler's wives have risen, for their husbands

Lost at sea, and hasten from the churchyards,

And to December's beach, to keep once more

The widow's watch, where hopefully they waited,

With flagging smiles and panicked hearts, and rain

Upon their prayer books, then tears atop their

Caskets, put low beneath that hallowed ground.

Laird