by Maria Sheehan (she/her)
Photography by Silje-Marie Svendsen.
1
Perched on a rock at the harbour
Gulls screeching overhead
My sadness for him engulfs
me
Memories of my king of the sea
Seep thru my veins
And cloud my tears
Rock a Bill lighthouse is just across the water
Its dark mystery and charm suck me in once more
2
I walk to the back of the harbour
Dodging the slimy green mush
I sit on the steep stony steps
Where we fished for mackerel
Slippery and salty
3
Fisherman’s caskets all rusty and battered
Coloured fishing boats
Red, yellow and blue
Ropes tying them down
No ropes can tie him now
My father’s brother
Has vanished in death
4
A ship passes Lambay Island
Its mast on the blue horizon
It vanishes as I watch
But its not gone
It’s simply out of sight
Perhaps this is it
We are all just passers by
5
My father’s brother has passed
And so, has his ship
My King of the Sea!
Maria Sheehan
Maria Sheehan has been writing since childhood and her dream is to write full time. Life has been busy, but she is hoping to spend a lot of time over this next chapter of life giving time to her passion. Maria has written a number of short stories, poems, and memoirs and she is currently ghost writing a book for a man aged 90 with a fascinating story. She is inspired by nature, in particular the sea, as she grew up by the harbour in Rush, Co. Dublin. Maria belongs to Drogheda Creative Writers, where the vast variety of people and their work nourish her soul.
