Floorboards of the Sea View Hotel
By Leroy Hazelton
The Sea View rests in the corner
Of my old shed under a tarp.
It lives in the shape of a hutch
I built for my daughter years ago,
The salvage of Johnnie and Loretta’s
Flooring in the bar.
How could I ignore those planks
I spilt beers and danced on
With friends and strangers?
I had to take them home.
They rested for years
Before I heard the music and laughter
Rise from each board
As I rubbed it down with fingers
Waiting for another song.
Leroy Hazelton has been an English teacher for many years, a DNA researcher, a painter of old wooden game boards, and a volunteer at Chicken Alley.
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 also include a two- to three-sentence bio at the end of your poem.
