Houseboat

by Robert Vaughan

There is more than
water that concerns
me. The trill of slow
rocking, lilting,
rolling. Aurora
Borealis flashes in
the fire-worked sky,
a candlelight lamp
drips wax onto
your body. The memory
of the carcass weighs
heavily on the nape
of my neck. Wooden,
chained with responsibility.
Is it better to
forgive than to forget.