Saturday Afternoon

Sailboats no longer
tack their way up the waterways
this late in the day,
but below the walk that passes
the jammed café
the skipper, erect, tanned,
white beard trimmed to perfection
moves about on the bow
of his moored boat.

Chrome shining,
hose and brush in hand
he washes, cleans his toy.
Circles, investigates each
intruding speck of debris
and sweeps it over the side
of the spotless boat
The Happy Hour crowd
peers from Solstice sunglasses
munches bruschetta, calamari,
watches the ritual of the man
who sails around his world every day,
sponging, brushing, hosing.

A solitary mallard
floats nearby, bobs
up and down, nibbles
at the hull of the vessel
that never leaves the dock.

Wisconsin resident Mary Hoeft has visited Door County many times and simply enjoys creating bits and pieces of poetry.