Charcoal at the Pointe du Milier 1

The Pointe du Milier is on the coastal path west of the fishing port of Douarnenez (Finisterre)

I’ll start at the Moulin de Keriolet, climb down
past the leat and water wheel to the lower chamber,
skirt the carved mass of the millstones,
smell the goodness of the fresh ground-meal,
register the congruence of flour and bags.

Then I’ll take the track to the Lighthouse cottage,
cutting corners from the cliff edge, down by
animal trails mapping the maze of thorn scrub
to the salt scent of sea and rocks and sand,
and up again to the path along the middle contour.

It’s late spring, so the sunsetting in north of west.
There’s a turfy seat, as if made for painters;
I’ll enthrone, charcoal and pad in hand,
finger and thumb soon smudgy as I
work would greet into slabs of light and shade.

Sketched out and content, black dusty spray-fixed,
I’ll slide the slope back to the path,
soak in the sun-rimmed silhouette of backlit
fishing boats homing east to port,
then follow west the gold seam to the horizon.