Rope coils stack on weathered timber
Opera sails catch dying amber
Diesel coughs from idling engines
Gulls scream past the bridge's girders
Salt & steel beneath my boots tonight
Harbor lights paint shadows sharp and bright
Every departure writes a new goodbye
I stay anchored where the dark tides lie
Flash captures rust on bolt and chain
Dusk swallows Circular Quay's domain
Passengers dissolve in twilight rain
My shift ends but the harbor remains
Salt & steel beneath my boots tonight
Harbor lights paint shadows sharp and bright
Every departure writes a new goodbye
I stay anchored where the dark tides lie
Coffee thermos steams on metal rail
Night shift supervisor checks his mail
Deck planks hum with diesel heart
Harbor bridge becomes my chart
Salt & steel beneath my boots tonight
Harbor lights paint shadows sharp and bright
Every departure writes a new goodbye
I stay anchored where the dark tides lie
Tourist lenses frame the iconic view
Locals know the schedule strict and true
I shoot the cracks the brochures hide
Where corrosion makes its home inside
Shutter clicks match wave slap rhythm
Developing tank smells sharp and grim
Each frame a ticket punched and filed
Proof I existed, reconciled
Last ferry docks at midnight hour
Gangway folds with hydraulic power
Camera bag holds Sydney's stolen frames
Runaway kid with harbor claims
Salt & steel beneath my boots tonight
Harbor lights paint shadows sharp and bright
Every departure writes a new goodbye
I stay anchored where the dark tides lie
Salt & steel, this harbor's mine
Ferry horn fades, harbor sleeps
Salt & steel, the promise keeps