The Dead Barge, Audubon Batture

It lies beached and eroded
steel decking sags in exhaustion
where it hasn’t already rusted through;
the Mississippi tears at it
in furious patience
ripping particles at an annual rate
depreciating strength.

River willows gather sand and silt
in cargo pockets exposed
to the sun and rain
grounding it and slowly
burying the hold.

Used up by commerce
it hulks now
as sacrifice to the stream
placed here as man-made
contribution to the levee
while the river
restores its elements to the sea.

LMC May 1988