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