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| Steve Ewing |
Steve and his three brothers, Doug, Colin, and Scott, grew up across Main Street and up a few houses from me, and Steve's father, Harvey, who wrote for the New Bedford Standard Times (I can see Harvey now, zipping in and out of town hall, on the trail of a hot story most likely, and I can hear his voice as if it were yesterday) was a fixture in town in my growing up years, as well as a good friend of my mother's (who also wrote for that paper for a while).
Steve's been building and repairing docks for years now, owns Aquamarine dock-building company, based down at Collins' Beach where I often run into him when I'm out and about. In addition to being an all-around good citizen, husband, father, hard-worker, and salt-of-the-earth, Steve's apparently got ink in his veins, too - inherited from Harvey, no doubt - as he is an accomplished poet (Doug's son, Ray, has taken up the mantle as well and is on his way to becoming a fine photojournalist).
The following poem, penned by Steve, was published in the Vineyard Gazette in December 2009 (I just love that he mentions Hinky Pease) and is used by permission here.
To a Shucker
Green side up
Knife goes in
Cut it clean
Top shell off
Thumb on guts
One smooth swipe
Next the meat
Sweet delight
Eye in air
Mystic tale
Scallop king
Holy grail
Bloaters swell
Beans all night
Shuckers wage
The endless fight
Buckets build
Baskets shrink
Beers are drunk
Shells mound up
On and on
Scallops make
Winter’s business
Winter’s stake
Eye in air
Mystic tale
Scallop king
Holy grail
Hinky, Mark, Tommy too
The best of them
The best of you
Cut em clean
It all adds up
Money’s made
In every cup
And pint
And pound
And gallon too
The more you make
The more you do
— Steve Ewing
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 Steve, at work, captured on Tri-X, late '90s, after a hurricane, as I recall. I think that's Dougie Benefit in the water. Below: Collins' Beach  |
Oh my goodness. It's perfect. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteSteve is an amazing human.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely. We love him.
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