Bob Lucky

In the Beginning, a Fable

A man was given a patch of ocean to husband. But what should I do, he asked. Whatever you do, I get half, Poseidon said. The man wanted to play with the fish but they were all in school learning how to be good fish. He invited Aeolus for a glass of wine and a chat. I would raise waves, Aeolus said. They practically raise themselves. Good idea, the man said, although it didn’t work out so well.

new moon
the familiar taste
of leftovers

The waves kept running away. And waves from neighboring patches kept wandering onto his turf. One day Poseidon came and asked for his share. Take it all, said the man. I’m going ashore and leaving the ocean far behind. The clouds will follow you, said Poseidon. Whenever it rains, you’ll cry. Can I at least take some fish with me, the man asked. They’re boney, said Poseidon. Will I ever be happy, the man cried. You are now, Poseidon said.

flotsam or jetsam—
all the same to the beggar
in moonlight

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About the Author

Bob Lucky is the author most recently of My Thology: Not Always True But Always Truth (Cyberwit, 2019) and the chapbook Conversation Starters in a Language No One Speaks (SurVision Books, 2018), which was a winner of the James Tate Poetry Prize in 2018. Lucky lives in Portugal, where he is working his way through all the regional cheeses and wines.

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