Y is for YYY

My theme for April, Poetry Month and the A to Z Challenge: Maine Lobster Boat Names A to Z with poems for each...
Now this next boat...YYY may just be a no name and the YYY is part of the registration number.  But since there were no other numbers there - I'm taking it!  I haven't found any other Y names yet, so this is what I'm going with!
I think it is a question...or three questons: Y? Y? Y?  (Why? Why? Why?)
Isn't she cute?  She reminds me of Sunrise, my S boat, only a little deeper yellow and a dark red bottom.  She looks more like a sunset to me.

YYY

It's Time to Go Home

All day out at sea
with little to show,
we've had a long day
    so,
       it's time to go home.
The gulls overhead
entreat us to stay                      
"Stay here in the bay",
       no,
           it's time to go home.
The shadows are long
the day is now short;
"Day's over" we sigh,
        then
            it's time to go home.
We head in before
a crimson sunset,
and gold on the hills,
        says
             it's time to go home.
Bow pointed to sun
dark creeps up our stern,
hot supper awaits,
        yes,
             it's time to go home.

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And tomorrow, (drum roll) the letter Z for z end!  I cannot believe that I found it!  Well, I didn't find it.  A friend found it and sent me the url.  Thanks, Ree!

N is for No Time

A to Z Challenge (see tab above or link to the right) and Slice of Life Tuesday today!

Three boats and three poems for today!
N is getting along in the alphabet.  I need a Q boat name for Friday!  And a U for next week, though I kind of found a U name... no picture, but a lobster boat name from years ago.
SO, if you have a boat you haven't named yet, I think you ought to name your boat Quick Quixote or Quilly Wonka...Ultra Sultry or Utterly Ugly...anything with a Q or a U!  Then paint the name on it, move to Maine, take a picture and send it to me.  That should be easy enough to do for next week.  And I think dedicated readers SHOULD be willing to do this, for the sake of blogging integrity.   Any Z name would be fine, also.   Suggestions:  Zed's Meds, Zealously Jealous. 

Don't make me resort to buying my own fleet!  

Oooh, a copy of PhotoShop would be cheaper!

No Time

"No Time"

There's no time to lose
The hours fly by
No time like the present
The wind and waves sigh.

At sea there's no time
It's stirred in the wake
Evening comes quickly
Soon after daybreak

Most of our lifetime
Our time is not free
But time spent at sea
Is just No Time and me
 

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Number 7

"Number 7"

I lead a blessed life,
I'm straight out of heaven
A guardian angel
The great Number 7

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 Nadine Rae

"Nadine Rae"

Nadine Rae, what did you say?
"It's time for work and not for play."
Nadine Rae, why can't you wait?
"Get your boots and get your bait."
Nadine Rae, why do you nag?
"Grab that gaff and bait that bag."
It's time to go, I know, I know!
"Best be quick, or I'll make you row!"
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Educational Nook:

New-shell lobster = A lobster that has recently molted (see M), and whose shell is still very soft. These aren't usually for sale. They are softer than a "soft-shell" (see S next week), which is sold. These do not get bands put on their claws because they are so soft they can't damage other lobsters in the holding tank and the bands could crush the claws.

L is for Lil Dipper

Lobster Boat Names from A to Z - 

Click on the A-to-ZChallenge tab above to go links to more A to Z posts!

Today's post from me is brought to you by the letter L!   First up is "Lil Dipper" and below an original poem for her.  Then there is Lasca J, a slightly larger boat with her own original poem.

Lil Dipper

"Lil Dipper"

                                           I'm a bobber, dobber, lobster boat
                                           Who bounces atop the sea
                                           I may look small but I'm no joke
                                           There's no one catches me!

                                           I'm a whipper, dipper, lobster clipper
                                           Who works a steady pace
                                           I may look cute but watch your back
                                           I'll beat you in any race!

 

Lasca J

"Lasca J"

High water or low

I'll push on the same

Skimming by others

Who know me by name.

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Legal lobster (in Maine) =

• has a carapace between 3 1/4 and 5 inches long
• is not a berried female.
• has no V-notch, nicks, grooves, or indentations of any kind along its edge on the female tail flipper.

Live-tank or Live-well = A tank filled with seawater to hold live lobsters.

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I'll be posting on Sunday, though it won't be a lobster boat poem.  Sunday is a day off from the A to Z Challenge, but it will be a poem, and there will be pictures related to lobstering and Maine, so come on back then!

J is for Jacob & Rachel

The day of J-ay.
And this first poem was a first poem, scheduled and ready to post.  Then I came back to it today (which is yesterday officially for you) to check and see what I had put together.  I wasn't satisfied with it.  So I started messing with it.  I was just going to add to it, but then before I knew it:
Cut.  Revise.  Cut.  Paste in a different spot.  Cut.  Add. Edit-Undo, Edit-Undo.  Rewrite.  Add.  Think. Think.  Admonition to self - "Stop thinking and just see, feel and write".  Cut a bit, move a bit.  Done.  Whoops!  One more word change.

So the first poem just under the picture is old, below ~~~~~~ is new and revised.

"Jacob & Rachel"

1.
The lobsterman's job

To pass on to kin:

The traps are hauled up

And then tossed back in.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
2.
With barnacled hands
Sand dollar skin
 Periwinkle eyes
And rocky hard chin
He’s  a part of the land
A part of the sea
 A heart for the deep and
For his family.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
3.
Barnacled hands,
Sand dollar skin,
 Periwinkle eyes,
Rocky ledge chin;
 Part of the land,
Portion of sea;
 Heart for the deep
And for family.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And now that I see both together, the second one is nothing at all like the original.  That's good.  Do you agree?  Or do you prefer the first?
"But I see three poems here," I hear you saying.  Okay, just came back to this, this morning, and did some cutting and resulted in #3.  That's my pick.  What a transition!  I think I'm finally happy with it.  Less is more here.  J is also for Just Do It.
I like revising.  Do you?  Have you ever started with a poem or piece and messed with it so much that it ended up totally different?

Educational Jargon:

Jumbo: A lobster that weighs over 2-1/2 pounds.

I is for Irene & Sherry II

A to Z - Today is I.  Or should that be, today is me?  No, I.
This lobster boat is named after the two " girls" in the lobsterman's life, as is custom.

"Irene & Sherry II"

Named after women

So dear in a life;

One is his daughter,

The other his wife.

Not together asea,
Yet never alone;
Adored adorn
To bring him home.

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Educational Intermission
Indigo - sometimes, like once in 2 million times, you may see a blue lobster.  I've got to eat more lobster.  I think I'm about halfway to 2 million now and haven't seen one yet!

F is for Fantaseas

Each day in April, except for Sundays, we are challenged to write on a topic that begins with the letter of the day.  Because it is also Poetry Month, I have chosen, for the second year in a row, to write a poem a day.  Sunday will have a poem related to the topic, but not assigned a letter.  Click on the AtoZ Challenge tab above and visit more bloggers participating in this alphabetically challenging month!

My topic is Maine Lobster Boat Names...with a Trawler or two thrown in for missing letters.  Photos are all taken by me, of boats on the coast here in Maine.  They are mostly on land, as this is where they are parked for the winter awaiting warmer days and lobsters to return from deeper waters.

F is for Fantaseas -

"Fantaseas"

White spilling over 
Water's reflection
Bouncing and sparkling
Dreamer's perfection.

The dream of the sea;
A true fantasy:
Salt spray, and sea gulls,
And my boat and me.

"Freda"

Deep is the yearning
To smell the salt air
To feel the salt spray
Foul weather or fair.

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Educational Facts:

Some Facts about lobsters at The Lobsterman's Page.