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You are here: Home / Poetry / Moses of the Lake

Moses of the Lake

March 5, 2016 10 Comments

I’d walked down to the lake
to get a bit of sunshine
to escape the chill
and the shade
of my thoughts
yesterday, he was there as well–
Moses
he’d stumbled down the sandy mount
a bottle-cap-litter beach
the debris
of stone’s hard-will
broken, by tides
never wearying
he’d been carrying
a forty-ounce beer
oblivious of onlookers
he walked knee-deep
into the green water
shouting unintelligibly
the lake painted a wavy mockery
of his inverted reflection
he raised his beer can
up
toasting a cloudless sky
and he tilted his head back
as he baptized himself
with the last drops
of God’s wishes
late summer’s sunshine
glistened
upon tilted tin

falling backwards
into the lake
arms outstretched
all was quiet again
but for a bit of drunken splashing
forgiveness comes in tall cans
these days
but it’s spent quickly
its lingering taste–
bitter-metal nihility

today
he’d been talking
to himself
on the small beach
his long, white beard whipped
and billowed
lifting in the breeze
as he muttered
I hadn’t thought much of it
we all talk to ourselves
sometimes
and some of us
write poems
instead


One of countless summer-camping poems. I’m done with winter. It can leave now.

10 Comments

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Comments

  1. VictoryInTrouble says

    March 5, 2016 at 11:52 pm

    Makes me want to go camping. And I’m done with winter too. I went slip sliding in my car yesterday on the icy road. Not a ride I’d like to do again. So done.

    Reply
    • Eric says

      March 5, 2016 at 11:59 pm

      Hope you’re alright.. I could see you as a camper, Vic. Not everyone is. Maybe I’ll post a campfire poem tonight to warm my winter-chilled soul.

      Reply
      • VictoryInTrouble says

        March 6, 2016 at 12:06 am

        I’m good, thanks. Just scared me. I loved camping as a kid but haven’t gone in a while. I’d love to read a campfire poem. ?

        Reply
        • Eric says

          March 6, 2016 at 12:10 am

          I found something else, slightly campfire-ish while looking for one. I’ll post one tonight tho.

          Reply
          • VictoryInTrouble says

            March 6, 2016 at 12:34 am

            Great! ?

            Reply
  2. mlhe says

    March 5, 2016 at 11:58 pm

    “…he baptized himself
    with the last drops
    of God’s wishes…”

    That God can wish!

    Reply
    • Eric says

      March 6, 2016 at 12:04 am

      They call it nectar of the gods, tho I’m not certain they’d meant Pabst. Tho not all gods are finicky.. at least I like to imagine so.

      Reply
  3. jbcowgill says

    March 6, 2016 at 4:06 am

    Nice piece.

    Reply
    • Eric says

      March 6, 2016 at 4:15 am

      Thank you. I appreciate you reading this.

      Reply
      • jbcowgill says

        March 6, 2016 at 12:42 pm

        You are very welcome.

        Reply

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