[lit-ideas] The Watchman
- From: "Lawrence Helm"<lawrencehelm@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: "Lit-Ideas" <Lit-Ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 13 Mar 2007 23:30:48 +0000
It was a melancholy thing hearing the warning, the watchman on the watchtower
calling his morning call, blowing his trumpet but all that could then be heard
was the echo, and the watchman in alarm cried out, "oh Lord, I tried," and the
Lord told him, "you did well, my son. If you saw the enemy coming and did
nothing then I would hold you accountable for the deaths of your people. But
if you call and they will not heed, then I will not hold you accontable. What
happens will be on their own head."
I hear, I shouted, but I was only one voice and I don't think anyone heard . . .
The children in their little suits
Of white splashed out and squealing
Dashed back in; then ran out
And did it all again; rocking
Back I dozed; when I awoke
I looked and there were gulls
Circling and seaweed washing up,
And a rain squall was diving at just
This point. I should have known
It couldn’t last. Perhaps I did
But just forgot, folding the chair,
Throwing the sodden towel
Across it I trudged back up
And out until I found my place
And finding, shook the sand
From off my sandals and rubbed
It from my eyes, but there
Was no one here
And there had been
Such a short time ago.
I could hear the laughter
If I listened hard enough,
And see the sun glinting
Off the little white suits.
I put the chair and towel
Away. The rain was falling,
Cleaning a little as it fell.
Time was in its favor.
All was as it should be
Well into the building storm,
The destructive screams –
The otters assembled but further
Down were seals and a great
White shark thrashing in their midst.
It didn’t matter. There
Was only me, and I was up here
With my Jeep watching.
No one was left to share
That sea turned red. The otters
And the rest of the seals fled.
The sea grew calm and gulls
And a fog horn called each other.
Lawrence
Other related posts:
