To the Expositor:
Channel Sightings in August
Boats on the channel, an unscripted parade
The worn and humble, the sleek and bold
A mélange of color, texture, and sound
Go-fast boat rumbling
Sleek cabin cruiser beaming
Small red fishing boat trolling
Heads up!
Float plane, white with blue trim
Barreling down the channel, lift off!
Sailboats galore in North Channel paradise
Sloops, catamarans, and a schooner too
With fair winds, off to secret coves
Out of place, a cruise ship looms
Like Gulliver among the Lilliputians
Carefully squeezing through the channel
All manner of Everyman’s boat
Crestliners, Lunds, Stanleys, Starcrafts…
Versatile aluminum boats for work and pleasure
To the east the swing bridge fills the horizon
A grand dame spruced up for a milestone
A century of service and stories
On the hour, sailboats and trawlers circle
Waiting, straining to see the great span turning
No computer in control, only the bridge master aloft
Three OPP patrol boats, blue lights flashing
Head toward the town docks, in single file
A sense of regalia and God Save the Queen
Gawky rubber dinghy exploring
High-pitched jet ski skedaddling
Silent yellow kayak riding the current
Boaters savor the last warm days of summer
And I, the sights and sounds of the channel
From the chair on the dock at 62 Water Street
Phil Sparling
Atlanta, Georgia
