The Boat

One day as I sat upon the shore I watched a man and woman wrangling away.

Said the man to the woman in his spiffy little boat, "leave them there. I like them that way".

They struggled over oil rags that stopped up all the leaks that kept his little dingy afloat.

Said she, "I did not know they meant so much. Why don't you fix the boat?"

I stifled laughter to hear more and watched for his response. I had wondered too.

What meant those rags so safely guarded that caused the fight between the two?

He slowly spoke with sad expression; pain behind each word......
"Well, this one rag is for Karen. I loved her very much. She slipped and fell
and caused a leak that I remember well".

"This one here's for Karen two. Another one I knew. She caused a leak that was so big I cannot begin to tell".

"That rag over there, now that ones pretty new.

Jeannetes her name who caused that leak so here's the thing I do.

I keep these leaks and stop them up in memory of them.

I won't remove them lest I sink. I must remember when.

If they are gone what will I have to hold on to the past?

The cross I wear is to keep them there so my love for them will last."

The woman said to he, "I think I understand. But these are all a sadness that rags cannot make right.

You sell your present for the past on a hope that they just might......?

My love, I fear I do intrude upon your love affair

with ghosts of failure in your past and I cannot compare.

Please turn this little boat around. I wish to go to shore.

Your boat is full of oil rags. You don't need anymore."
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Well, that was that and so I took my leave right then and there.

I feared to look upon his face shadowed with despair.

But I would learn a thing or two by watching them that day.

By watching the couple in the boat who sat and wrangled away.