These are sections from a poem I wrote in the moment on location during a family vacation in St. Lucia in the West Indies. It was the year 2000. We were fortunate enough to spend time there during the winter for several years returning each time to Windjammer Landing on Labrelotte Bay on the northwest coast. One year I tried to write a long, connected poem in short bursts with as little revision as possible, although I did go back and tweak lines and sections. The composition as a whole remains unpublished, however, parts have been refashioned as stand-alone poems and appeared in print.--PM
99
Been trying to paint
palm trees for days--
not so easy---as much
as I look, I'm not
getting the gist--
my fronds look askew,
the trunks not as lean,
my copy not so true
100
Morning shower,
rain falls in a heap
as if from the unzipped
hold of a fire-fight plane,
sky tankers in Wyoming
releasing a pond's worth--
racketing splashes on
the torn elephant ears
of banana trees
101
Reading Josephine Herbst's
The Starched Blue Sky of Spain
on the terrace till noon--
sky downy, pale,
sharp light coming--
blue atmosphere over
riffled blue sea, translucent
blueberry Popsicle-blue--
liquid blue detergent-blue
102
Birds ricocheted
like crazy at breakfast,
word out about our
crumby soup line
causing spats and
all kinds of chippiness
as feeders jockeyed
for spots on railings
103
Two yellow-bellied
small guys popped in
for the treat--got into
it right off, one jabbing
the other with needle-beak--
the brassy red-chested
dark types put up a fuss
when smooth tan fliers cut in
104
Gray working ship
noses toward Castries
as sun intensifies--
gray clouds sprung,
the beating temp
frying an oiled layer
off all northern spines
—Paul Marion (c) 2018