Leaning

"He's my brother he ain't heavy"
says the boat on the right.

Love that fire-hose reel.

so sad but wonderful pics

the fact that the water was so still makes it particularly eerie. fantastic pictures-thank you

lean on me.. when you're not strong .. i'll be your friend.....

Abram Hewitt is gone but not forgotten.

Abram Stevens Hewitt was an American iron manufacturer, philanthropist, and politician. In 1886 Hewitt was elected as mayor of New York City, defeating Theodore Roosevelt. He served as mayor until 1888 and helped topple the Tweed Ring and reform Tammany Hall. He was elected as a Democrat from New York City to the U.S. House of Representatives (1874-86). He created a plan for building an underground mass transit system, which was not used for another decade.


http://www.hgtv.com/hg...3217_1389718,00.html

http://www.mercercount...istory.ind_giant.htm

http://videoindex.pbs....d=3292&chap_id=2

http://www.picturehist...nd/p/16123/mcms.html

Wow, scott, thanks for that!

This photo and your comments almost put tears in my eyes - poor ships....

Reminds me of a poem I wrote many years ago titled "Hulks"
I love you
Like the rusting hulk of sad trawler
falling down a pathway
towards a lighthouse
With holes bored into its facade--
old ship
sinking under the stagnant still waters--
festering with with bacteria
and end of game
The sound of the collision
of rotting battleship
no longer needed
with rust stains burnt through
to the inner core of your workings
Brushing--deeply against
the forgotten beacon
that tried to bring you in
with its own crimson stained gown
reminds me of
the beauty of anger
And
rust upon rust
And empty hole
upon rusty hole
See your face
in the forgotten corrupted hulk
of the ship
And see your lover's face
within the broken window frame
of a beacon
that no longer
lives
Both hollow vessels empty
except for the sound of sitting water
disturbed by
falling metal flakes
as beacon is sheared
and ship sinks
One hulk
crashing onto the other
and slowly
submerging
The "beacon" I was thinking of was an abandoned lighthouse in South Carolina and was constructed of steel. These images just brought this poem to mind. Great, moody evocative photos!

Wow! Great poem!

Mike Shannon! That is beautiful. What lighthouse was it, by the way, if you don't mind?

The lighthouse is on Hilton Head Island and is called the Leamington Lighthouse. It was a rear range marker that would be lined up with another light on the beach. It was restored fifteen years ago but I used to visit it as a kid before the land around it was developed. Back then it was a rusted ruin and a great place to kick back up at the top. There were other ruins around the light house including th Power Plant building, oil house etc. Camped out there once with a buddy and once darkness fell the whole place really tranformed into something very alien. The lighthouse had been abandoned in the late 1930's and was built in the 1880's. Sadly it's now part of a resort and stands on a golf course.

That's a remarkable poem, my friend. Fits the picture well too. Any thoughts of further collaboration?

Thank you Mike. Such is the sad state of progress I guess. It was good that it was restored, but to be surrounded by a golf course is sad.

What does everyone have against golf courses???
First it was minivans, then it was polo shirts.... Why does everyone have to be a hater??

Oh, Grifspop, I've got nothing at all against golf courses! It's all in good fun. You must be a golfer. I beg your forgiveness!!!

My goodness Mike! Awesome poem! I've written a few myself but am not quite brave enough to show them to my best friend - let alone on the internet. Thank you very much for sharing.

Twug, again with the begging for forgiveness?

No, Twug, I don't play golf, but a golf course is a serene setting to spend a weekend morning. Just Finished surfing Motts' musical sites, quite entertaining I must say. Wish I was in the NYC area, I'd check out a performance

What can I say, ~Me. I shoot my mouth off, not giving a thought at whose feelings I could be tromping all over, then after being rightfully put in my place I feel (because I have issues) that I need to kiss the proverbial keister. Thus, hoping to get back into the good graces of those I have insulted.

I sure don't wanna be even near that ship at this time....

What a great poem Mike Shannon! Tis beautiful indeed! When I first saw the photo, I thought of the song "Lean on Me." And I think the lyrics work for this picture.

For some reason it made me think of "All over you" by Live. Might just be the way she is being held up, but it made me think of the line: "Our love is like water. Pinned down and abused for being strange."

That reminds me of me when I have had one to many 24s

two sick brothers try to support each other...............

the two ships are drawing comfort from each other in their long seclusion. Better to be dying with a friend than stuck alone in some museum.

Here's another (shorter) poem:

Just my luck
I lie in the muck
I wouldn't be here
If I'd been born a truck.

:) Just a little competition for Mike.

i think its a railroad diesel tug

Fire hose real or not, I love it!!

that looks like it hit another ship or it hit its self.

This is a very touching scene. its looks as if they were friends, and Abram Hewitt's friend tried to keep his friens up while he departed.

THE SMOKE STACK ON THE PICYURE(LEANING) HAS THE OCAN LINER TITANIC`S COLORS

MIKE SHANNON.... AWSOME POEM !