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Abandoned Boat
NATALIE ROBINS
NATALIE ROBINS
ABANDONED BOAT
Holding out for richer anchors, the boat floats
across the bay, no exits in sight, no stopping
to say the day is longer than any of its used
parts, no narrowing down into spilling circles,
no leaving behind spent waves.
Onboard, a broken anchor, used last week
and fixed to spare sailing through the air:
no hands will hold it now, pull it from
its locker on the planks, no eyes will say
it's there to stop the boat from pushing out
to sea.
Run by no one, left behind, no food, no light,
no drink: the boat is waiting for a better way.
The paint, chipped and dull, runs out to waves
it cannot use.