»
Archives
»
Open Poetry #25
»
Mississippi Tale
| Open Poetry #25 |
|
Mississippi Tale |
|
|
serenity blaze Member Empyrean
since 2000-02-02
Posts 27738
|
Down on Long St. by the wharves across the tracks of no way back past the ghost security up the levee through the weeds and down into a grove of trees and just the spreading of some reeds (saved me from the mud.) Down behind the bus graveyard where the river makes her curl and you watch her bite the land knowing that her teeth unfurled would wipe the sandbar from beneath and knock you off your drunken feet-- there was a cabin slight with light, I thought the curtains oiled. There was weakness in the walk planks that sank beneath the foot not with regularity but enough to keep ya shook while hanging on to wintered rail leaving splinters gladfully as long as it remained intact-- I needed it for guide. The Mississippi sang to me just one foot below my feet and waves would wash unto my knees as the big ship passed the wake of her was wake of me baptized in the splash-- as I pondered chemicals dreaming of a nice salt bath. But we went and knocked on door-- we woke the man from unplanned nap. We told him that a ship has scored blasts of three--he should wake up. "find the signal from ahead, and see if it is safe to pass..." Sure enough, he saw the lights blinking thrice in unison. A barge was on the other side, coming short the other way, he told them--"slow, and hug the bank..." and then he turned to us and smiled and said, "I owe ya one." "What izzit that ya think ya need?" We asked if it's alright to park. Just across the levee there, where we'd left the truck. He smiled to us a pirate smile bad teeth, with no gold. "You just saved my life tonight-- the parking lot is yours." We thanked him and we said goodbye and then he grabbed my hand. "Bring me back a pint of Jack?" I told him I would try. |
||
| © Copyright 2003 serenity blaze - All Rights Reserved | |||
|
Sudhir Iyer Member Ascendant
since 2000-04-26
Posts 6943Mumbai, India : now in Belgium |
Your way of writing is such that I am left seething with jealous eyes...  Thanks for the great and most enjoyable read... Regards, Sudhir |
||
|
JamesMichael Member Empyrean
since 1999-11-16
Posts 33336Kapolei, Hawaii, USA |
Ha...ha.."I told him I would try"...why did you want to use the parking lot...James |
||
|
littlewing Member Rara Avis
since 2003-03-02
Posts 9655New York |
K - you know you brought me right there with this one - I felt my feet on that plank - could see the cabin - like with trees hanging swaying - dark and mystical -the Miss - bog - damp - I was walking there . . . ok now I think I am losing my mind . . . this is amazing - I love when you tell stories - need to get round a fire - we do . . . xxoo |
||
|
Sunshine
Administrator
Member Empyrean
since 1999-06-25
Posts 63354Listening to every heart |
You always take me "there" with your words... the next time I come? You'll take me there in real... |
||
|
Janet Marie Member Laureate
since 2000-01-22
Posts 18554 |
the imagery in this is more impressive than a mere moth has wrods for.... Vials baby...vial....I need some of that Mississippi mud and rhyme water  "and when we get to the pearly gates ... |
||
Marge Tindal 
since 1999-11-06
Posts 42384Florida's Foreverly Shores |
Serenity~ 'Down behind the bus graveyard where the river makes her curl' FELT it~ *Huglets* ~*Marge*~ ~*The pen of the poet never runs out of ink, as long as we breathe.*~ |
||
|
Earth Angel Member Empyrean
since 2002-08-27
Posts 40215Realms of Light |
Missus Sippi! Your tale is right up my alley!--thoroughly enjoyed! You write with the best!---the Pipsters!  Your alluring words of misty, off-the-beaten-path places are so intriguing---and very interesting reading!  Happy springtime! EA |
||
|
Seymour Tabin Member Empyrean
since 1999-07-07
Posts 31720Tamarac Fla |
serenity, I am struck with serenity.  |
||
|
Enchantress Member Empyrean
since 2001-08-14
Posts 35113Canada eh. |
Serenity...you do wonderfully well with stories.. You took us, the reader, 'there' and we loved every minute! For some reason..a line from a song stuck in my head as I read this.. "It's a treat to beat your feet in the Mississippi mud!" Can't help it...it just popped into my head. ~Hugs & Smiles, Nancy~ ~Somewhere in my heart I'm always |
||
|
serenity blaze Member Empyrean
since 2000-02-02
Posts 27738 |
smiling...James, my friend, I know it's confusing--we were confused too--we thought someone else was working the locks that night--and the guy we found on duty was no friend to anybody, he was so wasted. There was no parking lot--grin. But that didn't seem to faze him. In fact, giant cargo ships about to decimate local shipping barges didn't faze him. tsk...just an obscure memory from one of those stumble through the brick streets of N.O. Glad ya'll enjoyed. Thanks for reading! |
||
|
Moonlight Romeo
since 2001-09-10
Posts 982The heart of you |
A wonderful picutre of a time and a place. Well done. Thank you. What light through yon window breaks? It is the east, and Juliet is the sun. |
||
|
Paul Wilson
since 2002-07-07
Posts 4711United States |
Serenity~ Was that around Algiers Point on the West Bank? LOL Enjoyed this trip with you, it brought back levee memories for me as well...Paul "To share my poems with you is to share my heart with you" |
||
Mistletoe Angel
since 2000-12-17
Posts 32816Portland, Oregon |
(sigh) Oh Karen, this is beautiful, sweet friend, I'll skip on the Captain Morgan and have some Green River soda, yay, we all love you so much! You have such a beautiful heart, sweet Karen, thank you for sharing! May love and light always shine upon you! Love, Noah Eaton "Underneath your clothes there's an endless story..." |
||
|
Midnitesun
since 2001-05-18
Posts 28647Gaia |
Yanno, I really felt that Miss mud oozing 'tween my toes in this one. What a great write! Hope you got him that pint. |
||
|
Aenimal Member Rara Avis
since 2002-11-18
Posts 7350the ass-end of space |
Story teller extraordinaire |
||
|
passing shadows Member Empyrean
since 1999-08-26
Posts 45577displaced |
go on and write a book, woman! what's ya waitin' fer? |
||
|
serenity blaze Member Empyrean
since 2000-02-02
Posts 27738 |
Thank you all kindly. and no, I didn't get him his pint of Jack. In fact, the friend I was with was a river boat pilot, and took this man's drunken stupidity quite personally. He was reported and is no longer directing traffic on the Mississipp. smiling, finally, a happy ending, eh? |
||
|
suthern
since 1999-07-29
Posts 20723Louisiana |
You think that Mississippi mud can suck at your toes, unwilling to release them for still another step? *G* It ain't got nuttin' on your writin', gal. LOL For I couldn't have walked off from this story if I tried... mind you, I never once thought of trying. *S* Excellent write! |
||
|
|
⇧ top of page ⇧ |
|
| All times are ET (US). All dates are in Year-Month-Day format. | ||
