For Lawrence Ferlinghetti, founder of City Lights Bookstore, North Beach,. SF
Posted by Badlands Journa... on Wednesday, 3 March 2021
Sidewalk Sketch of the Skipper
(for Lawrence Ferlinghetti, 1919-2021)
From Nothing to Nothing,
Wearing an ironic grin and
A fine hat,
Back straight, naval officer,
The wheel at hand,
The compass within,
Forever approaching
That Beach,
June Sixth,
Nineteen forty-four,
A break in bad weather,
But not in artillery.
Back straight at the wheel,
Into battle,
There went a gent whose
Calm heart will be sorely missed,
Always among us
But never quite of us,
Size drew him above us,
A floating fedora or fisherman’s cap and
An ironic grin,
Steering to battle
Against the
Same old
Same old
Nazis.
Bill Hatch, 2021