There’s a magic that resides
In the waters between land and isles
There’s a stirring in the air
Every time the whistles blare
What form of magic is churned in the wakes?
For it transports you from place to place —
From the ordinary shores, to the islands steeped in lore
It’s the ‘mist’ical charm of legend ferries …
Not afraid of the people they carry
These ferries light upon the breeze,
They float, they sail on open seas
They’re forever going to and fro
And if you’ve seen one then you will know
They capture people in their spell
And they hope that people will want to tell
Of how they traveled with a ferry
And yet it wasn’t all that scary
And what’s the number of them, you ask?
Only nine now are called to task
The Island Home, the Iyanough,
The Governor, the Katama,
The Eagle, berthed in ninety-three,
The Woods Hole, a babe of 2016
The Nantucket, and Martha’s Vineyard
And not all that young, the Sankety
Become familiar with these names,
For you never know, you might one day gain
A closer look at some of these …
Roaming, watchful, harmless, yet powerful
New England ferries.
Born in Newburyport, and a longtime resident of upstate New York, Liz Splittgerber is a new resident of Vineyard Haven, mom to three school-age children, and wife of the Rev. Matthew Splittgerber.
