his mouth
a scar splitting
beneath
empty eyes
thickly mustached
a bear headed
towards hibernation

broken teeth
rocks jutting sharply
to tear the hull
from nighttime cruises

there is a fragility
to the pitted iron
keeping his frail form
neatly erect
yet at the same instant
on the verge
of collapse

the scar puckers
drools oozes
from his sphincter lips
of old cuts
following the lines
deeply engraved
to dribble down
onto his yellow stained
torn shirt

i smile and nod
unable to tell
if he nodded back
or if a tremor
jittered his
bobble headed countenance
in a lifelike manner

it feels
too goddamned early
for the end of days