A Shadow on the Water

A bit of folklore from Jekyll Island.

Past smoothed crags of driftwood
and barnacle-bedecked pillars
on some black endeavor
a ghost slides over the water.

The metal detector lies in the sand
a shovel falls soon beside
hands struggle with the moonlit earth
fingers gray in the monochrome night

No ordinary driftwood,
a frame pulled creaking from the hole
lock still dragging from the edge, crusted -
on the water, a shadow turns its head.

Color returns to the night
as sand falls from the tarnished coin
that spills around the knees
at the edge of the wood, well above the tide

The muffled shriek of joy echoes
to sea, where hooded eyes rage
again it slides across the waves, shadowy arm raised,
the blade still bright through all these long years.

Reviews

[Twilight]

This is quite interesting actually, John! Certainly, it has some degree of atmosphere and originality. Is it folklore alone which inspired this, or something of your own making; if you don't mind me asking? Or, based on actual American folklore?

There is some pretty good imagery, and this poem falls within the criteria for my Contest. Great writing, and thanks for the submission!

[imawriter]

Shame on me, I'm not familiar with this bit of folklore even though i am a native georgian... i do know that savannah has a bzillion ghost stories. Your poem stands well on its own, folklore based or no. love it--keep up the good work

[John D Phillips]

I spent a lot of spring breaks growing up on Jekyll Island off of Brunswick, Georgia. Jekyll is a place full of legends and stories, and one of them is that some of the treasure of Edward Teach is buried there. It's not true, of course. Teach was known to frequent those waters and stop at Jekyll for wood, water and to hunt food, but pirates didn't really bury treasure. The poem is a lark, a little meditation on the atmosphere of the place.