title: Uncertain Ships
author:  Phibby Venable 
description: Phibby Venable's work has been published in 2River, Poetrybay, Southern Ocean Review, Sow's Ear, Voices, the Appalachian Journal and various other national &amp; international magazines. The proceeds of her book, Indian Wind Song, were used to help low income Appalachian families with indoor plumbing and home repairs. Venable won the Virginia Water Project Award, and was nominated for the governors award for Volunteer Excellence. She is active in animal rescue. She was nominated by Goldfish Press for the Pushcart Prize in 2009, and in 2010 by Quill and Parchment Press. She is the author of Women of the Round Table, a novel, and Dry Branch Hollow, a collection of short stories.
zlib_text: II the SkVIark 
  You 
  It 
  I 
  -
  I 
  Fear 
  
   
  I 
   
   
  DEATH 
  SKYLARK 
  An ocean-going schnoner carried a cargo of suspicion and fear 
  by Roy Buggir41 
  I 
  Y it hudn't ii<!<Jn fo•· the yacht.s tied up at il3 
  lonJC row of •lip�. tho Los Angeles Yl\chl 
  Anchorage would have looked like an abnn· 
  doned flsh hawhery. 
  But theyachta were there. 
  and M I went on down the fioating boardwalk 
  looking for lhe Skylark I began to wood<1r if it 
  wa.sn'l about time for me to raise my rates. 
  "The Skvlark'• & fore-and-aft seboooer." the 
  man at the lunchroom hod told me. 
  Which 
  didn't rt'ally help me very much. I wouldn't 
  have Tf'OOI(ni>.ed & fore-and-aft seltoooer if one 
  had sailed right through my living room. 
  146 
  nut about lut!rwuy down the walk I •lowed to 
  l<><•k nt a boat that -med somehow diiTcront 
  from tl10 rest, SQ\Iow and long in the wator, with 
  •lund" lines snd two high masts, and woodwork 
  that ,.,,�red to have taken the polish or loving 
  hands for a century or so. !looked for a namor 
  p