I woke part-way, my mind spinning
With worry - Susan said it was not
Her fault, but sometimes it was,
And she wouldn't remember; so
I tried to let it go. She said she'd
Take care of this one, but when
I sat up and looked out, the
Body was still there - in plain
Site - at least one leg was.
She had thrown a tarp over
The upper part. She descended
Further it would seem - this had
To be on me this time, but I
Knew nothing of concealing
Something like this. I imagined
Dragging him to the end of the dock,
Pulling him down into the West-
Wight Potter, down into the hold,
And sailing out, but how far
To go prevent his drifting
Back in? I kept drifting
Back into sleep despite needing I
Knew to get up. Get him into the
Potter would be very slow work.
I'd need to stock it for several days,
And who would manage Susan while
I was gone? Maybe if I hid him
Some place else, maybe cutting
Him up. I shuddered at the thought
of cleaning the mess, tip-toed
Down the hall to see if she knew
Who he was, shook her gently,
"What?" She groaned. "Do you
Know who he was?" "Who?"
She groaned again. "The man
You killed." "What?" She said
Again, trying to rise. "There's a
Dead man in our back yard. You
Killed him on the way home."
"What?" She said again, eyes wide.
"Never mind," I said in a calming
Voice. "I'll take care of things."
"Okay," she sighed and lay back
Down. I tip-toed out, brewed
A cup of espresso, thought, and
Needed more. Who he was
Couldn't be allowed to count.
I needed once again to think --
One final time to get it right.
Note: The West Wight Potter is a small sail boat designed for the
rough north seas. I owned a Potter in the 70s and 80s. It was the first
sail boat I took Susan out in and she loved it. Here are the Potter's
specifications: <http://sailboatdata.com/viewrecord.asp?class_ID=5153>
http://sailboatdata.com/viewrecord.asp?class_ID=5153
<http://sailboatdata.com/viewrecord.asp?class_id=5154>
http://sailboatdata.com/viewrecord.asp?class_id=5154
