A retired Shipyard Draughtsman hears the Ghost-Pilot’s song

He stands, blueprints now memories, grips the rail tightly, sees
the current’s strength that forces brown water as mist solidifies

drifts downstream, to become self-fulfilling shapes of ships
longer than warehouses, masts tall as cranes at Cammell Laird’s

then hears a ghost-pilot sing as they pass the floodlit Three Graces
mentioning trade routes, merchandise, vessels’ names, their owners,

while the moon’s light gleams on their stones, long-dark windows,
shimmers on the river, reaches him. Watery-eyed he turns, walks

having heard in the breeze on the Mersey’s not-yet-dawn flow
laments that float over its surface. He sings their echoes.

…

Bob Cooper has had 7 pamphlets published – six of them winning pamphlet competitions. He’s also had two full length collections published, one by Arrowhead in 2002 then another with Pindrop in 2017 see:  http://www.pindroppress.com/books/Everyone%20Turns.html   He lives on the Wirral.