The wood you stand on, washed up flotsam on the stones,
once held my father’s weight above the waves;
the rusted bolt you kick with a thoughtful frown
kept closed the press which held his family maps.

It will be a found feature in your off-white apartment,
a reminder of the sea to bring the old outdoors inside.

Treat it kindly, with due respect.
It held safe their lives until that day
and now outlives them.