the beach

 

 

 

She could wear the lavender bodice of sun dress as birds wear everything. Although we live

in the city, her left flip-flop always comes off on the uneven porch and she walks around

 

with just one on for several minutes until she realizes how cool a singular soul can become

and hurries to the makebelieve beach, leaving me in charge, as savior, to the wandering swimmers.

 

I agree, in shorts too small for a man my age, sitting on the kitchen floor on pretend blankets.

The orange kool-aid spilled. The ice half melted in the two tumblers.

 

I don't know how imagination got this far. How marriage comes across alive and rescued as

the leathered turtle we found, half alive, half eaten, but convinced to live on;

 

to dig it's holes in the softest sand. To place it's eggs side by side for the hatchlings to scurry

to the ocean edge far away from the shorebound birds.

 

Your elbows covered with sand, a rock in my sneeker, limping but still carrying the lunch bags

of potato salad and sandwiches made with endpieces. How like plankton we accept our roles

 

in the cycle of the living water, as thin shapes to eachothers appitites. On the linoleum floor,

sticky with sugar drink, we fell asleep, me drooling on the blankets blue squares.

 

I wonder,

how can the TV still play after being on all night.

Reviews

[Michael G.]

A very well written journey of life. No matter your background, whether city dweller or beachcomber... I think you can relate to this. Well done.

[sienikeha]

so many brilliant lines .. unbelievable description.

She could wear the lavender bodice of sun dress as birds wear everything..

How marriage comes across alive and rescued as the leathered turtle we found, half alive, half eaten, but convinced to live on..

How like plankton we accept our roles..

etc. lovely.

fdbk:: appetites

[Emily B]

the music of our lives, from the squares of the blue blanket to the tv that plays all night . . .