Your Faithful Float

Forever your faithful float
flaking against your fresh coat,
serving a daily purpose, but
isolation makes me nervous,
half-submerged in salty sea.
All the nets you cast with me,
the way I bobbed and weaved
ornery waves waiting to be retrieved,
only to be slung with so many more–
a buoy has no purpose on the shore.

Colors drained
dried and hanged
my knots all loose
each float’s a noose.

I marked your heaviest hauls
of fragile fish off seafloor.
Will you honor my trawls, and
mount me as nautical decor?

Sanaa is host for D’Verse’s Tuesday Night Poetics – Tonight’s topic is to explore the realm of minimalist photography. Join us.

Photograph of fishing net floats by Glenn A. Buttkus. Be sure to visit his amazing site: SOUTH SOUND MINIMALIST PHOTOS

39 responses to “Your Faithful Float”

GraceoftheSun

Amazing piece, K. Loved it!❤️

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1. K.Hartless
  
  Thank you! So glad you liked this one.
  
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  1. GraceoftheSun
    
    LOVED it!!! Very welcome.💕
    
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sanaarizvi

This is incredibly stunning! The part that stood out for me is; “half-submerged in salty sea. All the nets you cast with me, the way I bobbed and weaved ornery waves waiting to be retrieved, only to be slung with so many more– a buoy has no purpose on the shore.” You brought the photo to life! Thank you so much for writing to the prompt 😍😍

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1. K.Hartless
  
  Such a great idea for tonight’s poetics. I was drawn to several photos but had the clearest vision for this one. Thank you so much for hosting.
  
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Mister Bump UK

I just spent about 2 hours catching up on WordPress reading, as I’m coming to the end it was delightful to read this.

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1. K.Hartless
  
  If you can be delighted after 2 hours of catch-up, that’s a huge compliment. Thank you.
  
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  1. Mister Bump UK
    
    I like to keep on top if I can but I had a period yesterday where I just couldn’t catch up. I resigned to a regular post which comes live at 8am, and yesterday I did not even see it until the evening.
    I could just give up on the posts, write them off, but then there’s a chance I would miss a gem, as I might have done here.
    
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  2. K.Hartless
    
    I miss something every once and again and it feels awful. Then, I have to visit a few favorites and try to play catch up. Needless to say, I have a lot of wonderful daily reading her on Word Press. Not a bad problem to have.
    
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  3. Mister Bump UK
    
    I think anybody who reads a post which says “I have 50,000 words under my belt” will understand that the author has their finger in several pies.
    
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  4. K.Hartless
    
    I love pie. It’s been a long time, but I’d love to have my fingers in several. 🙂
    
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  5. Mister Bump UK
    
    Are they in your diet book?
    
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msjadeli

SO good, K. You’ve made me care about the buoy. Works exquisitely as a metaphor as well.

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1. K.Hartless
  
  Thank you, Lisa. I love nautical decor, actually, and so I thought maybe there’s a retirement for an old buoy that’s been faithful.
  
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  1. msjadeli
    
    You are welcome.
    
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Lucy

Oh, this is so incredibly beautiful and poignant. Hope someone honors that buoy’s wishes!

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1. K.Hartless
  
  Thanks, Lucy. Agreed. It’s the dream, no? To be honored and remembered after our time.
  
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Ron Rowland

“a buoy has no purpose on the shore.”
Love it.
Reminds of the saying a ship is safe in a harbor, but that’s not where it’s meant to be (I’m sure I butchered the actual phrase/quote).

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1. K.Hartless
  
  Thank you, Ron. Yes, it’s these daily items that don’t always get love and appreciation. I think you got the saying just right.
  
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johnlmalone

I like this Personification poem; the way it moves with attitude and it’s meek plea at the end —

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1. K.Hartless
  
  Thanks, John. Each item does have a story to tell, no? A perspective that might be valuable. I appreciate your comment.
  
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Sunra Rainz

I love the way you’ve personified the floats. Brilliant last stanza.

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1. K.Hartless
  
  Thank you, Sunra, for this kind comment. Great fun and many great pieces on this prompt.
  
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Susan Joy Clark

Beautiful poem, K. I like your rhyming, personification … It’s just really nice.

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1. K.Hartless
  
  Thanks, Susan. Felt right, and that’s always a good sign. Appreciate your kind comments.
  
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Ron.

Please add my admiration to all the previous praises, for all the same reasons.

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1. K.Hartless
  
  Thank you, Ron. I’ll buoy you with the others, although your too unique to blend in.
  
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Glenn A. Buttkus

As Sanaa said,”Stunning”. I couldn’t ask for a better take on the image. Your subtle rhyme scheme enhances the piece. You gave this pod of floats a lively back story; so cool.

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1. K.Hartless
  
  Thank you, Glenn. This means a lot coming from such a talented photographer and writer. I would love to write more from your photos, so maybe I will message you sometime if I see one that speaks to my muse, if that’s okay with you. All the best, K.
  
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Ingrid

I believe this faithful float deserves the honour you propose! I love your imagery here, and the human subtext:
‘serving a daily purpose, but
isolation makes me nervous,’
I am sure many people can identify with these lines!

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1. K.Hartless
  
  Thanks, Ingrid. Those lines are definitely true for me. I plan to email you soon about perhaps exchanging manuscripts, although mine won’t be ready until August.
  
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T.J.S. Sherman

A beautiful piece capturing the possible biography of the image. A once useful tool, now hanging as decor–retirement.

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1. K.Hartless
  
  Thanks, T.J. They inspired me. Wish I could have incorporated the shape of the floats more, but it didn’t come to me in the time frame I was working with. Cheers!
  
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Helen Dehner

Re-imagined as decor … how clever you are! Great writing ….

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1. K.Hartless
  
  Thank you, Helen. I’ve seen these in walls before and it just seemed like a great retirement for a net float.
  
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Björn Rudberg (brudberg)

I think the old float might get his wishes granted.

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1. K.Hartless
  
  Would be something-I like to imagine it that way as well. Thanks, Björn.
  
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Susan St.Pierre

Excellent viewpoint! I enjoy tales from inanimate objects.

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1. K.Hartless
  
  Thank you. It does open up new avenues and still allow us to make commentary on ourselves.
  
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