The tide does not return what it has taken,
only drifts its hands over the ruin,
salt-lacing the splintered beams,
tonguing the rust-bitten anchor.
I have seen the bones of ships whitening
under a patient sun,
a history of storms etched in woodgrain,
the silent suffering of all that was lost.
Water does not mourn—
it bears wreckage as lightly as lilies,
rocking petal and plank alike,
never asking which will sink first.
The flowers open where the bodies closed,
roots curling into the ribs of the drowned.
Each stem an echo, each bloom a whisper
of salt-washed sorrow.
I gather the petals in palms too late,
watch them drift where memory wavers,
and know the sea will outlive the ache.
Photo credits: Pinterest
For Poetics: Monopoly with a Twist @dVerse Poets Pub
32 Responses
Is this poem inspired by the ship piece from Monopoly, Sanaa? I love the idea of the tide drifting its hands over the ruin of the sea, ‘salt-lacing the splintered beams’ and ‘tonguing the rust-bitten anchor’. I also love the ‘history of storms etched in woodgrain’.
Yes precisely, my dear Kim! 😍 I am so glad you enjoyed the poem 💄❤️
A masterpiece… really see the sorrow and the sea, the way it carries both death and birth… and maybe a bit of comfort for the mourning.
Thank you so much, Bjorn 😀 so glad the poem resonated with you 💄❤️
“tonguing the rust-bitten anchor”
Wow! Your signature style
Nice one!!!
Much♡love
Thank you so much, Gillena 😀 so good to see you 💄❤️
Much love back to you 🥂
This is beautiful, Sanaa.
I especially love
“I have seen the bones of ships whitening
under a patient sun,
a history of storms etched in woodgrain,
the silent suffering of all that was lost.”
I didn’t get the Monopoly connection. 😊
Thank you so much, Merril 😀 so glad you liked it 💄❤️
(we had to select one Poet and poem to be inspired by)
a remarkable rendition of Eliot
“ships whitening
under a patient sun, ”
what a brilliant prompt this was – thank you Sanaa
Awwww gosh! Thank you so much, Laura 😍 so glad you enjoyed it 💄❤️
I love this:
The flowers open where the bodies closed,
roots curling into the ribs of the drowned.
Each stem an echo, each bloom a whisper
of salt-washed sorrow.
Fantastically vivid and visual
Thank you so much, Robbie 😀 so glad the poem resonated with you 💄❤️
A wonderful prompt, Sanaa, and your poem is exquisite in metaphor, meaning, and mood!
Thank you so much, Lynn 😀 so glad you liked it 💄❤️
Eliot’s “Dry Salveges” and Lowell’s “Quaker Graveyard” poem are both from the same rough seas Melville crossed to dark truth — and you nailed that with “the flowers open where the bodies closed.” The sea does outlive the ache. Guess there should be an anchor or a whale on that Monopoly board.
Thank you so much, Brendan 😀 so glad the poem and its imagery appealed to you 💄❤️
A wonderful reply poem, the language and imagery is perfect…many favourite lines but this stanza is so strong for me…
Water does not mourn—
it bears wreckage as lightly as lilies,
rocking petal and plank alike,
never asking which will sink first.
Thank you so much, Di 😀 so glad you enjoyed it 💄❤️
Very powerful and poignant poem. Love that you chose the ship piece.
“Water does not mourn—
it bears wreckage as lightly as lilies,
rocking petal and plank alike,
never asking which will sink first.”
“the flowers open where the bodies closed.”
So much evocative and eloquent word artistry.
Thank you so much, M 😀 so glad the poem resonated with you 💄❤️
Outstanding as usual!
❤️❤️❤️
For me, your stunning poem brought back ‘my journey’ with my mother and Alzheimer’s.
I gather the petals in palms too late,
watch them drift where memory wavers,
and know the sea will outlive the ache.
Sending gentle hugs your way, Helen!
“Water does not mourn—
it bears wreckage as lightly as lilies,
rocking petal and plank alike,
never asking which will sink first.”
Gorgeous, Sanaa!
Thank you so much, Sara 😀 so glad you liked it 💄❤️
What you did playing off Eliot’s poem, is pure genius, Sanaa, and takes my breath away! What a joy to read, my friend.
Thank you so much, Dora 😀 so glad you enjoyed it 💄❤️
I love the depth of this, tide, sun, water in particular seem to speak of that which is eternal, beyond our control, which is spoken in that last line, This so moved me. ❤️
Thank you so much, Paul 😀 so glad the poem resonated with you 💄❤️
such a close ~
❤️❤️❤️