Thoughts of Beaches
Sunlight gleams off the water on a brilliant afternoon
and the raucous screech of a gull mingles with
the happy shrieks of children at play.
One towhead is down by the shore;
he walks, stiff but brave, right up to the foam,
but skips, squealing and laughing,
back to the safety of his parents’ arms.
The rock n roll that pulsed from radios on
the beaches of my youth is silent now;
headphones mute the sound once shared.
The day passes into evening;
now there is just the sound of the surf.
I sit alone watching the unalterable waves
continue their ancient journey
of up and back, ebb and flow,
surging powerfully toward the shore,
only to dash themselves to frothy death,
repeating the same thing
over and over again.
I watch the shadows lengthen,
then I stroll across the Boulevard to the bayside,
to watch the sun sink
into its watery bed.
It will rise again tomorrow,
a sign of hope
for every living thing.
6/6/2000