The Watcher

Photo/Poem, Photographs, Poem 1 Minute

Someone put him there—
high above the street, above the world,
arms on the rail, blank-faced,
like a priest who forgot his sermon.

The wind moves through the slats,
the paint peels, the wood sags,
but he stays, unbothered, unblinking,
a doctrine of waiting, of nothing at all.

Below, the world trudges on,
a dog barks, a car door slams,
the sea grinds away at the shore—
all of it passing, passing.

This is how belief lingers—
not in light, not in grace,
but in what refuses to leave,
in what stands, long after it should.

New Smyrna Beach, Florida

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Published by davestankowicz

Dave Stankowicz is a retired educator who lives on an island off the coast of Portland, Maine with his wife Debbie Jordan and their dog Cody. Liberated from the responsibilities of teaching he has found the space and time to pursue so much that interests him. Dave is the former host of the WMPG radio show Palm Wine Radio, and currently hosts Next To Silence - an hour long show that explores different themes, genres, artists and record labels. Next to Silence can be streamed live on Peaks Island Radio at https://peaksislandradio.com on Mondays and Fridays @ 7:00 PM EDT, and Tuesdays @noon. You can also stream archived shows at his site (category: next to silence) He continues his lifelong efforts to master space and time.

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6 thoughts on “The Watcher”

  2. Wow – I really like this one. “Blank faced like a priest who forgot his sermon” is so evocative and specific and funny. And I love the ending, about how belief lingers “in what refuses to leave,
    in what stands, long after it should.” Very cool poem.

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