Wild Postcards from The South Shore

 

On the sea-bound temple-stage

children sing and dance for prizes 

and people sit in rows applauding.

 

Do they notice someone’s uncle

hauling beach tents spades  and  buckets ?

Do they notice the tall, tattoo’d girl

shouldering  her orange surfboard?

  

Or two old sisters, arm in arm ,

dressed in fawn with wild blue hats,

who watch the  donkeys on the sand,

savouring the memory

of seaside childhood days ?

 

Or two black dogs, slick with sea water

watching out and contemplating:

friendship, long beach walks

and coming First in Show?

Or the woman with green towels,                   

grey hair, purple top and wobbling breasts

dreaming of her butterfly years.              

Or the plush rabbit

trying to escape

the straw basket of the  girl 

in the  moth-white dress.

Or the old woman sitting on her own

smiling as she taps her finger,

keeping time with the music

and talking to someone

who is not there.

 

 

 

 

 

Wish you were here

wxx