Love was Not Enough
Mary Winters
captain with a quest as big
as a full-rigged ship as big
as the Indian Ocean: Ahab’s
search for the Great White Whale
the one who wronged him -- fish
acting like some god took his leg
and wrecked his soul. Before the
end crew gasped to see St. Elmo’s
fire trim the mast and touch
harpoons -- your father saw the
same blue light when he was out
at sea sixteen years old a Navy
man. “Ahab” -- evil king from the
Bible. “William” -- “protection”;
protection of a helmet over some
one’s naked head...your father saved
for becalm-ment wide Sargasso Sea of
plain Midwestern suburb. No room
for giving it all away for taking it
high and low no vows that soothed
the blood was gone -- the scale too
small -- no one to blame.
