Two Poems
By Warren Woessner
Cape Poge
Snapshots of sun
Silhouette scoters
close to shore.
We duck buckshot sand
and pick off an eider
with the scope.
Farther out, gannets
wheel and dive,
show fish how to fly.
We watch the sea-spears
at 30 power, wind,
birds, waves blowing
straight in our eyes.
Norton Point
By late August, big tires
have worn deep tracks
in the sand roads and on the beach —
one lane out and one lane back —
even some exit ramps
gouged through the dunes to the bay.
If you get out of the van to walk,
it’s like wading through hot snow.
Past the dunes, the point widens
and the tracks spread out,
explore both sides, go where they please.
Sometimes wind-grounded birds
take shelter in them. Sometimes
leaving only footprints
is leaving too much.
A well-known Vineyard poet, Warren Woessner’s eighth collection of poetry, “What Flies,” is coming soon from Main Street Rag Press. He has won fellowships from the NEA, the McKnight Foundation, the Wisconsin Arts Board, and the Many Voices Competition sponsored by New Rivers Press.
Poets with a connection to Martha’s Vineyard are encouraged to submit poems of 120 words or fewer to Michael West at m@mwest.com. Please include a two- to three-sentence bio at the end of your poem.
