A Still Life (new title)

[brynmawr1]

A Still Life
 
Quarrelling calls of seagulls and kin;
the scent of coconut and aloe on skin.
 
Sand in towels and on clothes,
though mostly sand under foot
massaging between toes.
 
A sea of trouble lulled
by the whisper of turning pages;
the murmured crescendo of each wave;
a beach chair’s seductive repose.
 
Games and puzzles and wine-
The useful idleness
of anonymous days.
 
Family time measured
by an umbrella’s shadow.

Anonymity of Days
 
Quarrelling call of seagulls and kin.
Smell of coconut and aloed skin.
 
The wind blowing
sand in towels and clothes
under foot
massaging between toes.
 
A sea of trouble lulled
by the whisper of turning pages;
each wave’s murmured crescendo;
a beach chair’s insistent repose.
 
Games and puzzles and wine-
family time measured
by an umbrella’s shadow.