King Lear

It’s notable, unusual,
I’ve been developing
An internal sense
Of the Patriarch, the Pirate King:

An impression of a hard man,
Teeth gritted in intransigence
Proud to stand on his quarterdeck
In impunity and impenitence.

I do not know the man,
But in a desert land
I would be reluctant to accept
A glass of water from his hand.