book 1. (to the island)

sylvia's mother
was born in a port
on the southern side

of a tropical
island
nestled deep in the heart

of the caribbean
sea.
her father was a fisherman

with a small
one
man

boat.

he sailed out
daily
and came home empty handed.

till one day he spied
a lone grey-white
eagull

split from its
chain gang and scuttle out
for the sea.

hoping this bird
might be hunting some
tuna

the fisherman chased him
out into
the blue.

two long days he did follow
like the man in the
story

only to find
himself
back where he had left.

insensed with the sea bird
he reached for his
rifle

and shot the great
creature
from out of the sky.

and the very same
instant
that the bird hit ground

the fisherman found
he no longer
could see.

now blinded the seaman
was helped by his
friends

till the fish grew so few
that they had
none to spare.

soon his starved
wailing
was too much to bear

so the fisherman
bundled him
into a boat,

with his child
beside him
and his wife left at home.

for days on they floated
till finally they found
themselves

washed up
on a beach.