Island Hopping

This poem is set in the Caribbean. I wanted the natural vibrancy of the islands the protagonist visited to reflect the stage of their lives they were in.



Island Hopping

I skew-eyed you in Jamaica, drinking
Sailor Jerry and Coke, yours stirred,
mine shaken. We danced
down crowded avenues
and had each-others names
tattooed.

In Havana we Salsa’d.
It was there I got down
and asked you if you were ready
to take the dive. Coral reefs,
golden, but you
only wanted pearls.

After waving goodbye to Cuba,
sailed to St. Lucia and
between two meandering palms
I kissed you.
A man talked and we nodded,
just smiled, absent minded.

We arrived too early in Haiti
and we couldn’t agree
whose turn it was
to help nurse or feed
the ones who needed us.
We argued and both lost sleep.

In Barbados we sat, watched
the waves, the children played
with buckets and spades.
One eye spied how deep
they went. We put them
to bed and watched the sun set.

We bought a house
on a whim in the Cayman Islands.
I played golf while you shopped,
bought a yacht,
learned to tie knots.
It’s time to cast off.

Sad to leave
but time, I think.
A Sailor Jerry bottle’s broken
to christen our ship
to give us safe passage
and above all, good luck.