Time Ago


I remember when I could say
This is my time
That was a time ago
When I was svelte and unlined


And now I see girls
That look like a used-to-be-me
This is their time
Shiny smooth, bright of eye
Untested and true
Time does take a toll
In memory and photos
Sound clips and music videos


Thirty some odd years once before
When I could strut some stuff
When men whistled and cat-called
To my flirting


Not much changes really
Just the calendar pages and
Decades’ etchings
Along my mouth and eyes
There’s always a replica of me
Sitting on a barstool
Spaghetti strapped with made-up eyes


I remember back in the day
When I was bold and brash
That was my time
And this is theirs

Beach Times


Not a wisp of cloud
To mar the endless sapphire sky
Dreamers and lovers
Stroll along
Linking elbows, shoulders grazing
Needle beaked terns
Peck in the surf’s remains
Startling shoreline minnows
To make a hasty retreat
The tide flows outward
Pulling gravelly sea bits
Then tumbles back against the sandy shore
Dropping new shell treasures at my feet
I watch the tourists
Rummage along the surf’s edge
Collecting scraps of beach time evidence
Of being here
Souvenirs to stay the memories
Seagulls float and glide
Against the perfect indigo overhead
Cawing and screeching
Competing for attention
As they gently land on spindle legs
Boys with box kites
Struggle and tug
Against the breeze
To keep their colorful angles aloft
Teens on boogie boards
Paddle away
Looking for a steady
Wave transport back to shore
Tinny reggae makes a radio escape
While sunburned noses and shoulders
On those who overstayed their day
Amble past in skimpy suits
I blink against the mesmerizing glare
As the sun slowly descends
Closer to the horizon
The couples grow fewer
Conversations fade further
Umbrellas are folded
And blankets are shaken
Another beach day
Is packed up and stored
Securely held within my mind