<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html charset=us-ascii"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); line-height: normal; widows: 1;" class=""><span class="s1">Wood and Steel</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); line-height: normal; widows: 1;" class=""><span class="s1"><br class=""></span></div><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); line-height: normal; widows: 1;" class=""><span class="s1">first day at sea</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); line-height: normal; widows: 1;" class=""><span class="s1">The steel deck hums</span></div><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); line-height: normal; widows: 1;"><span class="s1"> </span></p><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); line-height: normal; widows: 1;" class=""><span class="s1">Rolling ocean bringing back dreams</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); line-height: normal; widows: 1;" class=""><span class="s1">Of wooden ships and creaking ropes</span></div><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); line-height: normal; widows: 1;"><span class="s1"> </span></p><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); line-height: normal; widows: 1;" class=""><span class="s1">Wood once home to squirrel and bird</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); line-height: normal; widows: 1;" class=""><span class="s1">Roots knowing darkness and moisture</span></div><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); line-height: normal; widows: 1;"><span class="s1"> </span></p><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); line-height: normal; widows: 1;" class=""><span class="s1">This steel ship knows no life</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); line-height: normal; widows: 1;" class=""><span class="s1">But for the guest in my cabin</span></div><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); line-height: normal; widows: 1;"><span class="s1"> </span></p><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); line-height: normal; widows: 1;" class=""><span class="s1">A ladybug has stowed away with me</span></div><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); line-height: normal; widows: 1;"><span class="s1"> </span></p><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); line-height: normal; widows: 1;" class=""><span class="s1">I place her in the steel drawer</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); line-height: normal; widows: 1;" class=""><span class="s1">Of the steel desk</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); line-height: normal; widows: 1;" class=""><span class="s1">On the steel ship</span></div><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); line-height: normal; widows: 1;"><span class="s1"> </span></p><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); line-height: normal; widows: 1;" class=""><span class="s1">I bring her water</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); line-height: normal; widows: 1;" class=""><span class="s1">And bits of food</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); line-height: normal; widows: 1;" class=""><span class="s1">This ambassador of all living things</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); line-height: normal; widows: 1;" class=""><span class="s1">Trapped in a cold steel world</span></div><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); line-height: normal; widows: 1;"><span class="s1"> </span></p><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); line-height: normal; widows: 1;" class=""><span class="s1">That bug, a living icon</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); line-height: normal; widows: 1;" class=""><span class="s1">Impossibly red with magic black spots</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); line-height: normal; widows: 1;" class=""><span class="s1">I fell in love with her</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); line-height: normal; widows: 1;" class=""><span class="s1">And all creation at the same time</span></div><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); line-height: normal; widows: 1;"><span class="s1"> </span></p><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); line-height: normal; widows: 1;" class=""><span class="s1">But she did not survive</span></div><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); line-height: normal; widows: 1;"><span class="s1"> </span></p><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); line-height: normal; widows: 1;" class=""><span class="s1">Heartbroken in mid-Atlantic</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); line-height: normal; widows: 1;" class=""><span class="s1">A burial at sea</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); line-height: normal; widows: 1;" class=""><span class="s1">Inside a matchbox coffin</span></div><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); line-height: normal; widows: 1;"><span class="s1"> </span></p><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); line-height: normal; widows: 1;" class=""><span class="s1">The only wood I could find</span></div><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); line-height: normal; widows: 1;"><span class="s1"> </span></p><p class="p1" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); line-height: normal; widows: 1;"><span class="s1"> </span></p><div style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); line-height: normal; widows: 1;" class=""><span class="s1"> - </span><span class="s2">Brian Narelle</span></div></body></html>