Three Poems

THE SEA AT NIGHT

for Michael

The sea at night, all black
yet distinguishable from the sky, all black.
Close above the sea: a vertical sickle
a flame yellow waxing moon -
and right above the moon:
a chrysanthemum yellow star,
the evening star.

All in a straight line -
so we wondered if this happens
every night or once a century,
we wondered while

the sea swayed, the sky shifted
the moon turned, the star slipped

and there was no time
...