To An Old Boat By The Cape's West Coast Poem by LLM Mbatha

Did the saline Atlantic
Devour the skin of your face
And all your flesh to expose
Your silver colored frame
To the oxidizing air
Over the long standing years
Every boat has a name
What did they call you
In your sailing years
Were you victorious
Were you glorious
Across the raging waters
From coast to coast
Did you ferry
The poor, the rich-
The slave, the master…
Did you, one day, sail over
The solid rocks or
Did Time just run out for you