The Old Capstan, Sennen Cove
(from a picture by Andrew Watts…)
Lobster traps and a coiled rope
Lie idly by, alongside
A small skiff without oars,
Whilst men in hats expend energy
Shoving long levers, clockwise…
Shuffling, their boots gain purchase,
Leaning, their backs strain, perchance
The old capstan will wind its cable
And thus haul vessels from the quayside,
Up the incline of a slipway, coarse,
Or perhaps winch them down to a waiting tide,
Where a crew tarried harbour-side
To tackle a fierce Atlantic gale’s force…
Pete Ray
November 2018
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