Gloucester Harbor
Summer is here! I’m aware that the solstice is marked as the start of summer, on calendars and weather vanes, but that’s absurd, like saying Pluto is not a planet. The symmetries of the heavens don’t determine the rhythms of a human life. No, summer begins on Memorial Day Weekend, when school is out (or should be), and air conditioners are in.
In Massachusetts, summer means “The Cape.” High demand will cause high prices on Cape Cod, leaving a larger share of the better cape to a fortunate few. There, on Cape Ann, you’ll find the town of Gloucester—“GLAW-ster,” if New-England-ese is not your native tongue (it is not mine). George Clooney has walked these streets, The Perfect Storm was set and shot here, and the Fisherman’s Memorial looks out over the harbor.
Beaches, used book stores, the waves rushing the rocks at Halibut Point: if you squint, you can see the tired coasts of Old England.
Among others, Gloucester inspired Childe Hassam (see American Impressionist); his paintings of Gloucester are among his best.
I tried my hand, as well, at a memorial to Gloucester.
Gloucester Harbor
Gloucester harbor freshen up
Summer’s here with baseball bats
And naive tourists wearing flats
Gloucester harbor freshen up.
Gloucester harbor wave your flags
Schooners sailing past the lights
Kids with trumpets flying kites
Gloucester harbor wave your flags.
Gloucester harbor pour a drink
Boston’s dry and Salem’s cursed
The wilted artists all dispersed
Gloucester harbor pour a drink.
Gloucester harbor hunker down
Shake your fist, grit your teeth
Nor’easter’s coming, lay a wreath
Gloucester harbor hunker down.
Gloucester harbor sing for us
Faded mermaids, peeling paint
Let loose the ropes, sailors faint
Gloucester harbor sing for us.
Gloucester harbor pray for us
Low-slung clouds, gentle waves
Forgotten sailors, empty graves
Gloucester harbor pray for us.
Gloucester harbor strengthen us
We the heirs to all you lost
Stripped and robbed and tempest-tossed
Gloucester harbor strengthen us.
American Independence in Verse is available anywhere books are sold.