Dave Bonta's "Missed" is only a few words long, but it paints a whole scene. Two lines set the stage: first the soft, blurry "morning mist," then a chain of things joined together: the line, the ship, the rust. We seem to be standing at a harbor or shoreline where everything is half hidden, and the only thing we can make out clearly is an old ship tied up by a line.
The repeated "married to" is the heart of the poem. Marriage suggests a bond that lasts, but here it links a rope to a ship and a ship to rust, so the commitment looks more like slow decay than love. Nothing is going anywhere. The ship seems stuck, and rust is eating at it.
The title, "Missed," adds a quiet ache. Judging by the imagery, it might point to a missed departure, a lost chance, or someone who isn't there. The speaker doesn't say how they feel, but the mood is hushed, wistful, and a little sad.