Casey Lynn Roland

In the Morning I am Sober and Can See

by Casey Lynn Roland

Two swans circle off Bearskin Neck,
parting black ocean—
            lead glass before daylight wind stirs.
Their yellow dancing feet loop a waltz, 

necks folding like mine—
I point my face
beyond the breakwater. 

Morning sun catches early frost on barnacles
stuck on the wharf ladders—
            they will sleep soon,
            and their bodies, their homes
            will stay sharp all winter.  

The lobster boats are never pulled, 

the pot haulers clank a bittersweet clock—
            not a 1, 2, 3
            not a 2, 2, 3, but close.
My bench, balanced on the uneven bulkhead,
needs a coat of paint. 

From here, October could last forever. 

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Casey Lynn Roland is writer, artist, and stage manager born and raised on the North Shore of Massachusetts. She recently graduated from the University of New Hampshire with an MFA in poetry. Her work is centered in New England and attempts to reconcile her relationship to the place she grew up, the people in it, and the ways they change over time. For updates and more, follow Casey on Instagram at @mscaseycreates.