|
|
|
Classic and Contemporary Poetry
THE SALMON GILLERS, by DOROTHY MARIE DAVIS
First Line: Now the full tide swallows the sandspits
Last Line: Starring the river.
Subject(s): Columbia River (north America); Fish & Fishing; Salmon; Anglers
First Line: Now the full tide swallows the sandspits
Last Line: Starring the river.
Subject(s): Columbia River (north America); Fish & Fishing; Salmon; Anglers
Now the full tide swallows the sandspits;
Night in fog-slippers walks the Pacific.
Under the gray weathered pilings the river
Murmurs and gossips while from their anchorage
Out slip the gillers, foaming the waters,
Dropping their seines in a circle behind them...
Like myriad spiders spinning at twilight.
Blue is the sky by the night-rack enshrouded,
Blue the Columbia, like polished metal,
Blue are the hills with Astoria hidden...
Deepening, darkening, silencing blue!
Then comes a stab from the light on old North-head,
Flame darting out for a second. Again
Blue over all till the flash like a poinard
Stains the Columbia briefly, is gone.
As at a signal a pale golden pinpoint
Wavers a moment over the water.
Then there are others, every seine-anchor
Lifts up its candle, dipping and staggering
On the dark water till all the gillers
Have lighted the torch-buoys, eerily dancing.
I have seen sun-stars... vast constellations,
And I remember also the gillers
Starring the river.
Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!
Other Poems of Interest...
JOURNEY INTO THE EYE by DAVID LEHMAN
THE GREAT BLACK HERON by DENISE LEVERTOV
ISLA MUJERES by WILLIAM MATTHEWS
SCHOOLS OF LITTLE FISH by MARVIN BELL
TWO PICTURES OF A LEAF by MARVIN BELL
OF FISH AND FISHERMEN by JOHN CIARDI