A time lapse

A time lapse

I watched as a large fishing boat came into being
Behind our gray prefabricated house with a garden and a view of the road
The boat's ribs were crafted from mulberry logs using a saw and chisel. They were
then lined up on the ground, which had become overgrown with thistles.
A fire is burning in the barrel next to it, and the ribs are twisting one by one in the
heat, standing on their tiptoes like ballerinas.
Near the church of Our Lady of the Snow, on a narrow road
I rode my neighbor's bike in secret
I watched a boat form from above
It grew each day until it reached my father's chest
I rode my neighbor's bike in secret.
There were sounds like scraping and sharp planing blows that flattened the sides.
My father's rough hands and the occasional wiping of sweat from his face
Already the next day, the front deck was flat and fastened with metal clamps
It looked like a baby whale that had wandered there at the bottom of the road
We haven't lived in that prefabricated gray house for a long time
She moved into my memory
The boat got tired of carrying the nets and a gas lantern
She ended her old age tied to a small stone pier
Like a stranded whale
I still see the master in an old photo album.
Recently, I walked down the narrow street beside Our Lady of the Snow Church.
I treaded cautiously as I took my neighbor's bike for a lap or two
The church bell is ringing like it used to
The gray house is still there like in a time lapse