{Semipoem} Tidal
Day. Sunlight, glaring,
Warm, distracting, enticing.
Spot of liquid quicksilver,
Against the cold stillness
Of your breathing. Tense,
Unsure. Fear? Unprepared.
For the swift encroaching
Tide, chill as winter's morn.
Droplets of water a delicate
Anklet, remade every two seconds,
With the ebbing flow. In, out.
Feet relieved. Toes wiggling
To trace small paths on wet sand
Swiftly erased by the undertow.
Sensuous, slow. Scary?
Perhaps. Not really. Comfortable.
If you ignore the white wall
Of water, rushing towards you.
To break itself upon willing bodies,
Cheerfully splashing upon pebbles,
Pieces of silicon dioxide.
Minuscule -- confusing
Dances of pleasure. Tamed
By the time they reach you.
Move forward. Accustomed, now.
Water lapping at your waist,
Tightening the waistband,
(Mother would later say,
"How impractical to wear
Bermudas! So much sandy fabric!")
Plunging fingers into the pockets,
To marvel at the strange, not
Unpleasant suction, looseness.
Further, now. All but your
Head, in the soft blue comfort
Of clean, clear seawater.
Look, it's coming -- wait for it,
Wait for it...wait...jump!
To catch the wave, at if you're
Touching the sky. Blue, so blue.
Water uplifting, laughter bubbling.
Head above the water, the swell
Passes you by. Turn, see others being
moved. Lines of people, dancing.
Attempting choreography in jumps.
Trips, spins, balance shifts.
Laugh to whoever you end up beside.
But the coldness returns, when they only
Smile, tentatively, small. Wrong?
But focus! The next one is coming.
Ah! Caught you unawares! Too short,
Didn't jump high enough, water was
Too big a wall...For whatever reason,
Go under. Close your mouth, your eyes,
Hold onto your clothes, and lose your
Hairtie. Gulp of seawater, try to keep it
Out, but come up sputtering, coughing.
Repeat ad infinitum. People kicking against
The current, keeping within the safe flags.
What lies beyond? Dangerous tides?
Creatures? Jellyfish, sharks? Let
Imagination create the nightmares. While
we swim, safe, within the flags. Watch
The brave souls far, far into the depths
With envy - they catch the waves first.
Wade out, drenched,
Sand in your pockets.
Sifted through wet toes,
Tiredness creeping slowly up.
It was fun. But next time,
Perhaps bringing a friend along
To share the beauty and joy
Would make it even better.
[c:0210h, 280107]
A/N: Not very inspired...but I went to the beach yesterday.