Building Wharf

‘I don’t knock myself out’ he said.

‘Mostly I just tinker.’

He was at it for six months.

The wharf was a monolith -

a construction made of wood and plastic

that jutted out into the water.

My father is an engineer -

the wharf bore the hallmarks of his design.

It floats upon the water -

And will float there after his death,

A momento.

It’s something for his grandchildren

to play on

or dive off if they are game enough

into the murky waters

down, down, into the tangled weeds.

It’s an entity for the ducks to perch on

squawking to each other

in their own special language

duck-speak, unintelligible

to the human ear.

My father takes pride in the wharf

It’s a retirement achievement

A man needs hobbies

To keep himself busy

We all know what happens

To idle hands

Heaven forbid

The devil should take his

At this stage of life.

I made a special trip

to the family farm

to see the wharf

to find inspiration for this poem.

I found what I was looking for.

A poem in the form of a jetty.

Jutting out into the water -

Solid for generations to come.

Laura Solomon has a 2.1 in English Literature (Victoria University, 1997) and a Masters degree in Computer Science (University of London, 2003).

Her books include Black Light, Nothing Lasting, Alternative Medicine, An Imitation of Life, Instant Messages, Vera Magpie, Hilary and David, In Vitro, The Shingle Bar Sea Monster and Other Stories, University Days, Freda Kahlo’s Cry, Brain Graft, Taking Wainui, Marsha’s Deal and Hell’s Unveiling.

She has been short-listed in Bridport, Edwin Morgan, Ware Poets, Willesden Herald, Mere Literary Festival, and Essex Poetry Festival competitions.

She was short-listed for the 2009 Virginia Prize and the 2014 International Rubery Award and won the 2009 Proverse Prize. She has had work accepted in the Edinburgh Review, Orbis and Wasafiri (UK), Takahe and Landfall (NZ). She has judged the Sentinel Quarterly Short Story Competition.

Her play ‘The Dummy Bride’ was part of the 1996 Wellington Fringe Festival and her play ‘Sprout’ was part of the 2005 Edinburgh Fringe Festival.