from Lifeboat Disaster

All this second night
the wind drops slates into gardens
bends steel radio masts at the chimney
smashes their teeth on the slates

All night
a mad gate beats against a broken lock

We lean back
on the black wind
watch our footprints by the lamp
drift away in a mist of sand
and listen

Hours are blown with the rain
three oyster catchers flee over the wet slates
calling

A buoy flashes
red
in the fairway
to the four-mile faraway city
The Horseshoe counting
four-and-a dark seconds
flashes silver

Darkness the dragon has eaten the Lady
and a sea-mist the lightship
In the fairway by the Gaa Sands
black night the cormorant
shakes the third light
and swallows it
South-east by the Fife skerries
The North Carr rocks her crew
looses the cat-clawing anchor
drifts
eight men and a light
drifts and holds
on the last anchor

The first maroon knocks loudly
once
on the wet shutters of heaven
drops a green firefly
They wake in cottage bedrooms
open the curtain
watch the sky …