painting by numbers

the colors have numbers

and correspond to numbers on the panel  

required to complete the picture.

in the end

there’s a boat, a smack listing to

starboard, bow's on wet

land, stern's in shallow water.

there’s also a neatly kept dock, #1, #12, #7,

ladened with aquatic paraphernalia;

lobster pots, #1,#12, #7, hanging bumpers #16, #1, and so on.

in the distance, clouds, #1, #7, and gulls, #1, #7, hover over the action.

convincingly, the still water glistens, #7, #1, #12..

reflecting

what’s on top of it.

sky’s blue, #7, dock’s brown, #1, #12, #7,

boat’s white, #1,

and in serious need of a paint job.

well, that’s what I thought I was doing.

but apparently not.