Gargoyle 9
cover drawing by Ashby North
publication date 3/23/1978

Seaside

Brian Pohanka

(for D.)

I search for
nets half-buried in the sand
Under the eyes of a
dark infant on the shore
whose barefoot cries
overlap both wind and sea–

Are you here too?
I desire you
I reach for you . . .

My hand ignores the ugly wire fence
and fingers concealed grasses
entangling wet driftwood
then on to seaweed’s slick delight–

Abstracted
I straddle anonymous bones of mermaids
kissing the Sun . . .

Soft ocean
you are flesh
I rest my soul upon your gentle breast
and here is my mouth
Do you accept me?
Shall you sip my tears?

Wait
hose-off your salt–
it tastes like a woman
while the pink wine is bitter . . .

Recumbent
slowly sinking
I drown without remembering
that fishes are the tragic ones.