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

which is what I thought I was doing.