Capitano

By Dr. Paul Campanis

200 bricks a day
He mixes seawater
clay dreams sand
His bricks will form rooms
over there in the village
His sea exploits
he pounds into the dough
he forms 200 times a day
His glance is furtive
The sea mistress kicks the shore
Do you remember the storm that .....
Never penitent, never sad
The old sea captain is with his wife
Now he no longer rides her
but is put to dry her juices
on parched sand to make
walls for villagers
With slow dignity, he pours and
forms. The bricks dry and die
The captain forcefully
lives his fate with clear eye
A quivering nostril
smells the place
where sea captains go.
Proud, straight
Courageous
Capitano