The Sea Hags Walk

Poem 19.

This one is a Terza Rima, which I think might be one of my favorite forms. It was first written in 2015 but has seen many revisions over the past 8 years and I'll just come out and say it: I love this one.  (Probably no mystery why!)

The Sea Hags Walk
By Edith Hope Bishop, November 2015

Along this stretch of common shore
where seagulls laugh and kelp crabs pray,
we’ve walked a thousand times and more

and marveled at the cheerful play
of waves that toss us salted treasure,
tides that bear their gifts each day.

For whether shell or bone’s your pleasure,
or seaglass fine and smooth your taste,
there’s weed and wrack in equal measure,

and we find wealth where some see waste.
This china cup is broken, true,
but with a bit of earthen paste

we’ll patch it up to good as new
and fire the copper kettle hot,
to serve a bit of driftwood brew

and sit on piles of nets and knots,
and sift through all the stones we found,
and toys cast off by careless tots,

and silver keys, and sodden pounds
of plastic bags and fishing line,
and crinkled cans to kick around.

 
And when our sorting’s done, we’ll dine
on clam and oyster seaweed stew
until we’re feeling fat and fine.

We’ll walk again when supper’s through,
and search once more the old for new.