Fishing Boats on the Beach at Saintes-Maries-De-La-Mer (On Van Gogh's painting) - Jude Goodwin

One of these boats carried Mary,
    put to sea by the Romans,
    the crying woman, hands wrapped with rags
    that smell of myrrh. And a tomb angel
    guards the beach. All the fishers have fled in fear
    except the one who stayed to spread his cloak
    over the water. For the women
    in the boat, no sail, no paddles.
    And the mourning Mary. Miracles,
    she tells him, are untouchable.
    

The fisher guides her hand
    to the red boat's prow,
    the old wood thick
    with loving paint. Hold fast
    mother, he says
    and the women are gone.
    

Flat sea. Four boats
    returned to shore. Curdled cod's breath
    sky. A yellow mast, yellow grass.
    Some kind of large grey wing
    floating in the water,
    washing up against the rock.