The Subject and the Stranger by René Ostberg

Men of Aran by John Skelton (1923-2009).

The Subject and the Stranger

Six men of the west walk away from us.
As far as I can tell,
there’s no invitation to follow.
They walk in mute colours
with mute backs
telling no difference
of temper or humour or mood.
Moods are for clouds,
like the ones beyond
buoyant and rumpled blue
and white blended.
Men are for fishing,
for working.
They walk to their work
fit with one rope and three pairs
of folded hands
across a widepuddled beach
to a small blue boat
beside rocks as mute as the men’s backs
as rumpled as the clouds
as still and stubborn as only rocks
and occasionally men, seas
skies, tides
fish and thoughts can be.
The men know we watch them,
know we wonder about them,
but our wonder is not returned.
All thoughts are on the work ahead
the small blue boat
the long white lip of surf
the sum of the catch, the shift in the clouds.
We must not take our strangeness here
so personal.

René Ostberg

René Ostberg is a native of Chicago who still resided in Illinois. Her writing and photography have been featured at Literary Orphans, Drunk Monkeys, Eunoia Review, Booma: The Bookmapping Project, Rockwell's Camera Phone, and The Writing Disorder, among other places. Her website is reneostberg.wordpress.com.