Tournament

Rocks Covered in People

By: Melissa de Haan Cummings - Sep 12, 2015

Tournament

Is that the same thorn
I took out of my foot
yesterday?

Curled green locust leaves
on the path
smooth yellow ones
on the tracks
the Rockport side
of goats fish and frog

Little ones with lifejackets
in the canoe
paddle over their heads
ladies retrieve it
You are tying that
We untied it
The tide's coming in
Mama's on the cell phone

Rocks covered in people
water in boats
boats in fishermen
air in music
and laughter

Cheering
horns blowing

Two vessels raft to the dock
three to a mooring
a sixth between
stretching toward the wall

Did you donate a jug?
Several
You just weren't there

Five minutes to weigh in!
More vessels fill gaps
between moorings

Eleven six!
Hallie!
Firecracker barks
Dog echoes
"Play that funky music
White Boy!"

So absolutely perfect out!
Isn't it!
Brett!
Yah
Buona Fiesta!
Ha!

Mike!  Mike!
Put your stuff down!
They're coming
How do you know?
I see them
O
Are you leaving?
They're coming
We're leaving

Engine halfway up
spinning  thrusting
looking for a way
to lengthen the rafting
another backing out the gap
A big one perpendicular
Flatiron full of standing
people some in truck beds
leaping off the Flatiron
the gangway
A tuna boat with a tower
edges ahead of a little one
What was the biggest fish?
Fourteen four
Off the Toby Ann

My husband hasn't come in yet
Neither has mine
They got lost together

Another crawls between
dock and rocks
watching mooring lines
anchored to ledge
rafts to Toby Ann's transom
long as Toby is broad

The first one slipped off the hook
Second jumped the gaff
We got two big ones
Not fourteen though

Grill smoke wafts
People carry fish
upside down
by the tails
Dogs find shade
behind beach chairs
near hamburgers

They didn't catch anything
so they brought the boat
to East Gloucester

Fire works
Who owns the Rhumboogie?
The Greeks who live
between the ball field
and the church
-- Polisson

An engine starts
Musical thumps resume

From the bow of the big tuna boat
you can jump down two feet
to Harry's stern
and proceed across two new rafters
Where is Dickie?

Hi!
Gorgeous!  Gorgeous!
Isn't it beautiful!

A twenty pound seal
by the ramp
It's hung up
Maybe on a buoy
Did anybody call Animal Control?
O those people!
All they do is come down
in their official clothes
and take pictures!
That boy took the ball over there
He's gonna try to touch the seal!
Two men touch the seal
She barks swims deep

They said it had a bite
on its head or flipper
but I looked and
didn't see anything
I think it's fine
It was on the other side
of the cove earlier
I hope it finds its mother!
So do I!
People interfere with nature

People move up the ledge
cast shadows
The dog was stuck on a rock
He's so cold!
shivering in sweatshirt
and mama's arms

Here I'm sneaking in
I'm gonna grab
my flip flops

Half a dozen men
sit on Harry's roof
Where is Dickie?

Melissa am I dripping on you?
O!  It's you!

Did you fish?
With him?
Yar  I let him
take the tiller
and I fished
There weren't nothin out there
A guy down in Annisquam
told me  He got a fish finder
We did what we did

Dickie drives along
the other side
with wife and toddler
observes Harry
having fun



Melissa de Haan Cummings
6 September 2015