A weathered sailboat leans in shallow water beside mangroves, with a golden sunset and small boats offshore.

Where the Mast Rests

MG-0562

Florida Keys · 2021-04-03

About this piece

A weathered sailboat lists beside a mangrove-lined shore, its exposed hull and slanting mast dominating the foreground. Golden sunlight spreads across the rippled shallows beneath a deep teal sky, while taut rigging draws fine diagonals through the open space. Small boats along the horizon lend scale to a scene of stillness and wear.

The story

On this early April evening, gold gathers in the shallow water around the tilted hull. Mangrove roots reach into the stony margin, their dark lines echoing the rigging overhead. The boat rests at an angle, its stained surface catching only a little of the light. Farther out, small vessels mark the horizon, and the sun's reflection breaks into bright fragments between shore and open water.

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