Pirate Day on SF Bay

 Come on along 

on a vicarious click-through

Summer's almost gone

sang an Alameda boy who went strange

and went away to Paris and Pere Lachaise

Of course, hereabouts things are just hotting-up

I escaped into the expansive bayscape

 It's Talk Like A Pirate Day

apparently,

I only did once, briefly

to a seagull I wanted to get rid of

 But I enjoyed observing the occasion,

a chance to avoid a hot day on land

and put some more nautical miles

under my sailor's cap

 Very calm on the estuary

 The industrious 

Port of Oakland

Nice rest areas seldom used,

Views seldom seen

 Leading up to the new bridge

 Leading in turn to the old bridge

Mount Tam peaks underneath

 Underneath we go as well

Alcatraz Island and Tamalpais

without the bridge between us

 A fond look back

Turbulent majesty

 yet mild enough this day

Mainly benign utility boat traffic

not a lot of recreational sails today

The broad North Bay

a hearty sailboat

for company

 As we approach

our harbor

just shy of the bridge

Rubbing blubber,

Sparse seals of summertime

crowd the same pontoon

 Kooky man-made island,

wonder how he ever

 got that one approved

 

 On foot now, I proceed 

directly to my usual spot

Take a quick plunge

 and kick some suds

 Have my lunch:
Sardines, pumpernickel, cheese,

olives, crackers, and brandy

The tide reaches the pilings below me

 Leaves the varicolored sand

in tie-dyed patterns

 I hung out with a lovely couple

I didn't bring enough herb

but very fortunately they had

more than they needed and shared

 They departed via motorcycle

San Mateo residents

comrades of the compassionate

 Very happily medicated

I have no problem

 staying fascinated here alone

awaiting my 8 o'clock boat

 Solo artist

 running through the changes

 First the tide rushes in

 As goes out again

in scintillating patterns

and reflections

 Well, look who's here

while the sun is still out

A fuzzy little bandit

wearing a mask

Slinking along in the shadow

like a sheepish sheepdog,

 Bigger than he looks here

He may have become accustomed 

to very few people at this hour,

Cold breezes and early fog-shrouded dusk

all Summer

 Stops to see if a young German couple 

have any hand-outs for him,

Can they bite? the girl asked me

Oh, they can bite,
but only if they're afraid of you

which he plainly was not

Evanescent Marin

The gold of late Summer

pours in through the gate

 Until the atmosphere

turns imaginary

Turning to alchemy

 Radiance of the Golden Gate

19 September 2016