Mark C. Nuccio

Mark C. Nuccio: Artist, Poet, and Author.

Mark C. Nuccio is an an accomplished artist, poet, and author with over 55 years of dedication to his craft.

He has exhibited his paintings and woodcuts in over forty group and solo shows, including the prestigious Library of Congress, which holds three of his works in its permanent collection. His artwork is inspired by his deep love for Long Island’s ocean, bays, traditions, and history.

In addition to his visual art, Nuccio is an accomplished poet with over 3,000 poems written since 1968. His work is published in five chapbook collections and various poetry publications, and he is known for his ability to capture the essence of Long Island’s natural surroundings in his writing.

Nuccio is also a prolific writer of essays and articles on maritime history, environmental issues, and boating. He has published over 130 pieces to date and is a well-respected voice in these fields.

In addition to his artistic pursuits, Nuccio is also an accomplished musician, playing guitar, banjo, and harmonica in the folk and blues genres. He is an active member of his community and has served as a Trustee of the Walt Whitman Birthplace Association since 2018 and Vice President of the Fire Island Lighthouse Preservation Society from 1997 to 2018.

Here is one of his poems, “the clammer”

the clammer
he seeks out of the way coves
tugging at his long clam rake
he can’t wait for his muscles
to begin to relax a little
as they tend to stiffen up
in the unforgiving winter cold.

standing on his deck
he looks up from his work
stops pulling on the rake
for a few moments
to take in a flock of coots
flying in formation
skimming slightly above
the calm cove surface

Clamming is exactly what
he always wanted to do
he did it as a youngster
he felt born to it.
sky and seagulls above
the wind pushing clouds
the smell of brine in his nostrils.

sure, he had done other things
a career fireman in the city
a first responder on 9/11
the days he spent there
trying, trying, trying,
to find something living
he never did the hero thing
he never talked about it.

then there were the years
he owned a party boat
but it became a big hassle
dealing with too many people
and too many tangled lines
it began to irk him too much
he gave it up for his sanity.

now he pursues bivalves
those sweet, sweet, clams
making enough to get by
his pension is a big help

winters will find him
working on south shore
the other seasons
he works the north shore.

this is his time of life
to be where he wants to be
working by himself
surrounded by water
weather, beauty, nature
those increasingly rare
and precious places
where he can be free.

by Mark C. Nuccio