Ferry At Night, Port Aransas

We’ve traveled through the countryside all day.
Now it’s night, and for our final miles
Only oleanders along the way
And railings now and then
Shield us from the watery waste
That spreads beyond the mainland.

At the edge of Earth
Abruptly the pavement ends
And from the inky blackness
A boat draws near.
It bumps up to the road rim,
And a man in a yellow coat
Motions us to come aboard
Where we sit until the load is filled.

Shuddering, the vessel shoves off,
Rocking with the waves, forging forward
While yellow coat keeps watch.

But he is not Charon,
There is no triple-headed dog,
And this is not Hades. Instead,
As suddenly as we set out,
We arrive at the glittering lights
On the farther shore,
Down drops the boat ramp,
And we drive into Paradise by the sea.

©2002  John I. Blair

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