Vincent Ferrini — The Harbor
February 3, 2026
Posted by Bing McGilvray
©Bing McGilvray
As a heartfelt tribute to the family and friends of those aboard F/V Lily Jean, lost at sea on January 30, 2026, this Vincent Ferrini poem speaks directly to the soul of Gloucester, a truly unique community that stands together in times of unfathomable tragedy and sorrow.
THE HARBOR
Your flesh is a fathom of brine
& a layer of light
always beckoning
the boats wait in snow & rain
as you do
for the deep dawning
you go striding
as sandbars shift
under the curling waters
the sea has your form
wanting me
to go rowing with you
the homeward dragger
Is your bounty
For the lonely nights
ah the blizzard between your thighs
the winter's fireplace
& candle brandy
you have three harbors
& pier altars
for the worshipping prows
you have a cormorant
for brooding
& gulls for your children
you love the huskies of the fleet
though some stitch their seeds
& abandon you you
labor in fishblood, oil & bilge
& swagger with a lust
the taverns envy
before the boats go out
& after they come back
your mood is our weathervane
your sisters are tied up
for a paint job & overhauling
as your brother buoy
the waterfront is the hard knocks
& family heirloom
for your tidal affections
you worry as the boats drown
& if the fishes vanish
the Faith is everlasting
you have room for crafts of pleasure
under
the rusty kingfishers
this deep sea diver covers
your docks & decks
& the scenes are your watery world
Vincent Ferrini, Know Fish – Books IV & V: The Community of Self. Storrs, CT: University of Connecticut Library, 1986.
The Harbor
Your flesh is a fathom of brine
& a layer of light
always beckoning