On ledge top I wait
at granite breakwaters end
to light your way home
— Bonny Puckett
I haven’t written much poetry in the last several years. When I was a young girl I wrote poetry quite frequently, and have had a few of my poems published in collections. My father & grandfather both enjoyed writing and would entertain me with stories of our ancestor, the famous Scottish Bard, Robert Burns.
Writing has always been a big part of my life and writing poetry is something I really enjoy, so you can look forward to seeing more poetry from me about the amazing places we visit.
This morning I was reminded of this photo I took 3 years ago today, of Spring Point Ledge Lighthouse in Portland, Maine. and was feeling poetic once again. The result was this Haiku.
Spring Point Ledge Light is a sparkplug lighthouse in South Portland that marks a dangerous area of the shipping channel in Portland Harbor. It sits next to the old Fort Preble which was constructed in 1808 and used throughout World War II. After World War II the site was inactivated. Several original buildings remain and are in a fairly good state of preservation. The site is now home to the South Portland campus of Southern Maine Community College.
In the background you can also see Fort Gorges which occupies an island and served as part of the Portland harbor defenses throughout history. Construction of the fort took place during the Civil War. It is built in a similar style to Fort Sumter, but constructed with granite as opposed to brick. Unfortunately, because of advances in modern explosives, the fort was obsolete before it was completed. A modernization plan was started in 1869 but due to funding cuts was never completed. It never saw any major action, but did serve to support war efforts during WWII by housing submarine mines. Fort Gorges is currently on the US National Register of Historic Places and tours are available by visiting https://friendsoffortgorges.org.
This part of the country has so much interesting history. It is also a great place to visit for fresh lobster!
What is your favorite city for sight-seeing and seafood?
