My Private Island - Nov 14 2023

My Private Island

Nov 14 2023

The small island

in this lake of islands

large and small.

Of shifting sandbars

unmarked on any map.

Of submerged rocks

that lurk in the shallows,

and only appear

when the water's low.

The unwary and unwanted

would do well to keep out.

A rugged island

untouched by man,

except for the rudimentary shack

concealed in the trees.

A fortress

in its fresh-water moat,

a sanctuary

for me alone.

Not the private island

you'd imagine

the rich and famous having;

the glass-walled home

and landing pad,

the fancy yachts

in a tropical lagoon.

Just rock

and stunted trees,

waves

beating against its shores.

Harmless snakes

as well as rattlers,

clouds of biting insects

and deep winter snow.

An inhospitable place

in which I've made myself a home.

After dark

there are no lights

except my own,

so I'm alone

in my island fortress

of rock and stone.

Where I sit

on a windless night

at the end of the world,

listening to the waves

lap gently against

its impregnable shore.