Our Lady of Good Voyage. Sculpted in 1915 by Angelo Lualdi. (Cape Ann Museum)
Gloucester, Mass. Grounded in Ground Fish.
By Ann Molloy
Gloucester, Mass. Grounded in Ground Fish
Was there ever a cooler place in all of the world?
A perfect natural harbor.
A home to all who come from sea.
Welcoming them with arms wide open, like a loving Grandmother to her kin. Embracing them, and comforting them.
Jutting out to the richest fishing grounds in the world.
Passionate like no other place.
We work hard and we play hard, and we have pride because we’ve earned it.
Muscles built on hauling fish. Feeding the world with what is real, valuable, sustaining, nourishing, protein, energy, life-force…
Feeling content, alive, and a little special.
Definitely different.
Humble to ‘all that is’.
Appreciative, thankful, abundance, contentment, happiness, love, glowing, special for sure.
Unique, unexplainable power, energy all around.
Magnetic, self-sustaining…
Air, wind, water, light and Fish.
Grounded in Ground Fish.
Hatchman, 1995. Paul Ciaramitaro (Cape Ann Museum)
Let us fish,
Let us be,
There’s plenty of Fish,
Still in the Sea.
You can’t beat,
Our small boat fleet,
With a factory ship,
Taking all in one trip.
All for corporate greed,
The machine it must feed,
What will be left in its wake?
It won’t taste good, if it’s fake.
Go ahead drill and mine,
Grow Fish on land, it’ll be fine,
A payoff here, a promise there,
Are there enough who truly care?
Let’s stand up and bring us back!
Band together and do not crack.
It’s in our blood, and
It’s in our hands.
This is Gloucester, Mass.
Try as you may,
Nobody can take what we got away.
Ann Molloy was born and raised in Gloucester. After several years of traveling around the country and world, she settled back here and has been helping run her family business, located down the Fort and on Kondelin Road. For over 20 years, Ann has been in charge of Marketing and Sales for the Neptune’s Harvest division of Ocean Crest Seafoods, which came about as a way to fully utilize 100% of the fish, by turning the gurry (everything that’s left after you fillet a fish) into an organic fertilizer. She has a wide knowledge of organic fertilizers, and the fishing industry. She also loves to paint, write, and see live music.
Enduring Gloucester 
Mother Ann–may what you do and love long endure.
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Ann, the powerhouse!
Any one to set this great poem to music?
Any one with a powerful voice to recite it to government bureaucrats?
Any mother with a sweet voice to recite it every night to Gloucester kids at bedtime?
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Great Ideas Carmine.
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Some may know that Ann is a friend that I hold quite dear. If you’ve just read her poem, you can see why that is so. I met Ann in controversy in trying to hold onto what “Is” Gloucester. We and many others have seen too much of what is being taken from us. Through many long nights and years at City Hall meetings, lines have been drawn and greed has prevailed. The only good thing that has come from this are the friendships that have been formed, or, as I like to say, “family.” I’m so proud to have a new Sister. As she so lovingly put it, “Let’s stand up and bring us back.”
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Way to keep it real, Ann!
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Your poetry touched my heart and soul, Ann. Thank you. Love, Rona
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A very powerful and moving poem Ann. Loved it!!
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Viewing your poem for the first time and liking it so much, I’m making the time here to let you know “you dun good!” It’s a wonderful thing that you shared your creative thoughts with all of us; we got the benefit and felt the impact. Kudos!
Denise Penta
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