TALL SHIPS

They glide into our small
waterfront, behemoths

from another era, rigging lit
to glitter in both sky and water.

Maritime cathedrals, masts
and sails for buttresses, floating

out of time and place,
as only beauty can. Sure, our

past is troubled, and the future
is unclear. But the stars that blink

beyond these wavering pennants—
long-extinguished, across

enormous distances—their light
still reaches us.

—Meredith Davies Hadaway

“Tall Ships,” from [Among the Many Disappearing Things] by Meredith Davies Hadaway, as performed with Joe Holt, piano, at a recent Mainstay concert. “Falling Sky,” watercolor, by Greg Mort.

The Spy’s annual seasonal tradition of publishing a poem by Chestertown’s Meredith Davies Hadaway continues for its fifth year with her moving Synonyms for Faith.

This poem was first published by The Summerset Review and was nominated for a 2020 Pushcart Prize. Her painting is an 8×8 pastel, entitled “Vespers.” And the harp accompaniment is excerpted from “Meditation on a Scottish Seal Song.”

Synonyms for Faith

All day a lone goose stands on the floating
dock. He nibbles at the water—stretches,

preens—but does not fly. No sign

of the flock that was there the day
before. I worry he’s injured or maybe

lost his mate. The tide comes in, raising

the wooden slats that hold him, then
retreats. Ducks crowd by and leave again.

The sun moves down the river, tossing

amber light across the lower layer of clouds.
Still there, now a silhouette against the glowing

sky. There is no lonelier sound than the cry

of just-one-goose—unless you hear another
from further down the river. I can’t be sure.

I only know the goose is gone now.

That when I look again, I see a pair
of shadows wing their way along

the river’s silver surface.

Meredith Davies Hadaway is the author of three poetry collections, including At the Narrows, winner of the 2015 Delmarva Book Prize for Creative Writing.