Departure

The catenary in the line goes taut,
lets go. Attended by tugs, backing slow
our destroyer disengages

from the certainty of piers.

The lean no-nonsense hull

passes Leo’s Last Stop,

the support of tenders, the waiting

that informs ships not at sea.

The last of the channel buoys slides by,

then the War College on its point:

Red Right Return

Above the naval base a nimbus,

nacre and pink as the inner ear

of nautilus or conch, wells in the air.

John Barr’s poems have been published in six books, four fine press editions, and many magazines, including The New York Times, Poetry, and others. John was also the Inaugural President of the Poetry Foundation. His newest book, The Boxer of Quirinal, was published by Red Hen Press and longlisted for the PEN/Voelcker Award for a Poetry Collection in 2024. You can view more of his work on his web site, or Instagram and sign up for his free newsletter.