Shore

whitewashed beach shanties-
a path of crushed coral ends
at the ebbing tide
–
salt air-
a gull’s cry
above the surf

a rotting boardwalk
crosses an estuary
flowing to the sea
–
low tide-
razor clams
burrow in the mud

a horseshoe crab shell
empty in the shadow of
an upturned rowboat
–
moonlit surf-
the lifeguard tower
stands empty

a cool ocean breeze
comes onshore and brings the taste
of salt to my lips
–
low tide-
footprints of gulls
in the wet sand

a once proud lighthouse
wind battered, cracked and aging
still stands defiant
–
chalk cliffs-
scoured by
an angry sea

awash in the surf
my toes buried in the stars
strewn across the sky
–
ebb tide-
crushed shells
and hermit crabs