​POETRY  -  
          With a Theme of Time 

"One more turn, we say to the smiling boatman."

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Departure
by MJ Moore

We will each know a time
when we sit at the edge of the water,
absorbed in some game or other,
and the boatman rows up and says,
It’s time.
 
At our feet, the detritus of our lives
rustles in the breeze--
forgotten memories,
discarded hopes,
the husks of dreams.
 
Around us, the pillars of our makeshift palace
rise towards the mist,
paint peeling at the base.
The corrugated tin roof rattles,
inviting rain, wind and sun.
 
We meant to tidy up before
departing, get things in order,
make sense of it all.
But of course we never did--
distracted by a butterfly’s wings,
a bird’s haunting tune,
the dark storm clouds
haloed by light.
 
If we’re lucky, our building stands
long after we’re gone.
If we’re lucky, a small circle of friends
surrounds us, laughing
and telling anecdotes
as we wave goodbye.
 
One more turn, we say
to the smiling boatman.
Then we’ll be ready to go.
We know we can’t win this hand,
but how can we leave
in the midst of all this?
Such stunning, chaotic beauty.

​_____________________________
 
Previously published in All the Women Came and Sang (copyright 2025).

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MJ Moore has been a writer, teacher, grass roots activist, Buddhist practitioner, wife, mother, and grandmother. She loves the ocean and has lived near coasts most of her life. From the top of her street she can see the San Francisco Bay stretched out in fog and light. Poetry for her is a source of vision, exploration, and joy.  Her poetry book, Topography of Dreams, was published by Blue Light Press in 2020.

Other works in this issue:
Poetry:
Genesis
Florida--Moon Central

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