By James Dalton Byrd
An old lighthouse standing.
Tall and strong.
It did its job and lives were saved.
But time has passed it and
its purpose now
is to seem mystical
and pose for photographs.
This old beach holds more for me
than it provides these new revelers
and bathers.
It holds memories
of my grandfather.
Tall, white hair, strong.
Now, here am I
white hair, slowly losing
the strength I once had
and understanding him a bit better.
Maybe, I am too harsh a judge
of the people playing here now.
Perhaps, in years to come…
when I and my memories are gone…
they will have scenes to play
in their own hearts.
I hope, as they
paint their memories of this place,
they will come to know
its music …
the percussion of waves,
the singing of gulls,
and the oboe of my spirit crying.
[Author: “I was raised in Beaumont and we had a small cabin in Gilchrist until a storm destroyed it many years ago. My grandfather, Eugene Robinson, had a house in Crystal Beach (originally Patton Beach, I believe). Bolivar had great influence on me as I grew up and still does. I thought you might like this.”]
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Thank you Mr. Byrd. I, too, grew up in Port Arthur. My mother was born in Nederland in 1924. My grandfather was working on Spindletop. Most of my family still lives in the area. I have family in Winnie.
Your poem is wonderful. We practically lived at the beach. Do you remember parking the cars on the beach so a sheet or quilt could be stretched between, and closed in, the doors as a shade?
My whole life has been spent around that lighthouse. Just knowing it is there, just the way we’ve known it “forever” means the world to me. I’m in Colorado now. And, after Ike I called my friend in Nederland and kept telling her to be sure and let me know as soon as they found out if the lighthouse was still standing. Can’t tell you the relief when I heard it was.
As you noted, I so hope that future beach-goers will respect our history and love of an old, rusted, lighthouse. I’ve read some people were trying to get it painted. That would ruin its history. I hope they can find the way to enjoy what that beach and lighthouse, and everything there has to offer. And that they respect all its history.