Boat Sestina
The can of sardines sits on the shelf
The lentils and rice are in a box
The leftovers are in a pot
On the little stove in the sink
So spillage won’t make a mess
Inside the cabin of my boat.
I’ve made life simple on the boat
But I’ve filled every nook and shelf
When I need something, I make a mess
Especially when I shift a box
Or leave the stove in the sink
While I eat out of the pot.
I have more cooking stuff than the pot
Too much really for my boat
No so much the boat would sink
But too much for my little shelf
And they won’t fit in a storage box
So I stack them to reduce the mess.
But the boat is small and a natural mess
My original order has gone to pot
I should keep the tools in a box
And put that box in its place in the boat
And maybe make another shelf
And start to wash up in the sink.
But the primus stove fits in the sink
And there is no other place in the mess
And it needs a drain, not a shelf
And the stove is a natural place for the pot
No better really on the boat
Since it won’t fit in a box.
I have compartments for each box
And every day I use the stove
So there is always some disorder in the boat
But I’ve crossed the threshold to a mess
It would be worse if I smoked pot
An old idea long on the shelf.
The unstored box helps make a mess
The sink with its stove and pot
Me, in my boat, (and on the shelf).
Copyright Jack Keegan 2020