{"id":1034,"date":"2014-05-21T17:42:09","date_gmt":"2014-05-21T21:42:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/stephaniesilberwordsworks.com\/?p=1034"},"modified":"2014-05-21T17:42:09","modified_gmt":"2014-05-21T21:42:09","slug":"drowning-at-nauset","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hometeamproductions.tv\/wordsworks\/drowning-at-nauset\/","title":{"rendered":"DROWNING AT NAUSET"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"drowning<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

On the way over<\/p>\n

Robyn told a story<\/p>\n

that put an end<\/p>\n

to conversation<\/p>\n

if only temporarily;<\/p>\n

something about a duck<\/p>\n

pecked to death<\/p>\n

in a botanical garden<\/p>\n

by a species<\/p>\n

other than its own.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

It tried in its own language<\/p>\n

to communicate<\/p>\n

its terror and despair<\/p>\n

quacking without pause<\/p>\n

flapping its useless wings<\/p>\n

at Robyn’s feet<\/p>\n

its garden a Babel<\/p>\n

not of its own making.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Nauset glowed<\/p>\n

in the afternoon sun.<\/p>\n

Golden and desolate<\/p>\n

the sea broke<\/p>\n

in its habitual roar<\/p>\n

and suck<\/p>\n

of undertow.<\/p>\n

Nothing can stop it.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

A little knot of people<\/p>\n

gathered in the soupy<\/p>\n

froth at the ocean’s ebb,<\/p>\n

quacking, flapping.<\/p>\n

We watched them carry<\/p>\n

the boy out of the sea.<\/p>\n

His face was white and blank<\/p>\n

his limbs hung useless<\/p>\n

as they laid him on the shining<\/p>\n

sand.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

All of his freckles stood out<\/p>\n

like punctuation points,<\/p>\n

something used to close<\/p>\n

a sentence.<\/p>\n

Words escape me.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

On the long drive home<\/p>\n

the heavy traffic<\/p>\n

sluiced like a tide<\/p>\n

from points<\/p>\n

east and west<\/p>\n

merging endlessly into itself<\/p>\n

at rush hour.<\/p>\n

Nothing can stop it.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      On the way over Robyn told a story that put an end to conversation if only temporarily; something about a duck pecked to death in a botanical garden by a species other than its own.   It … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n