midsummer blueprint

for jenni

pete and jing built a clipper ship
out of a big green canoe
and some old floral-print sheets
they found in the shed in pete's backyard.

copying the design from a page
of an illustrated copy of Moby Dick
they cut the sails with sheers
used by jing's dad to trim shrubs.

the masts were made of jointed tent poles
and the captain's wheel
resembled a snow sled with handles
made of empty beer bottles.

they staffed their ship with g.i. joes
and jing's pet turtle acted as lookout
from a plastic flower pot
tied to a snow shovel at the back of the ship.

the only problem they faced
in sailing their majestic ship
was the lack of open seas in north idaho
and the hole in the bottom of the canoe.