Warm waves wash upon the sandy shore and tickle my toes,
A cool breeze mingles with the salty air,
Caresses my cheek and blows through my hair,
Gulls fly lazily above me,
And pelicans glide effortlessly.
The sun hovers in and out of the puffy white clouds,
Moving slowly across the azure sky.
Kids run back and forth with pails of water and sand,
Building castles that won’t stand.
Trying to hold the ocean in little moats built with their bare hands.
Seaweed crowns the castle tops and twigs hold up invisible pennants.
I sort through shells washed ashore by the last storm,
The ones I like I tuck away in my child’s pail.
The ocean beckons and the kids take a plunge,
They splash and sprinkle and dodge the waves,
Until a big one knocks them down.
Gasping and giggling they emerge from the shallow beach.
I love the ocean but not too much,
So I stand ashore and click away,
Memories stored in digital chips of a wonderful day,
Spent on sand and surf with the rhythmic waves to play.
Sunrise, sunset and moonlit nights,
So many glorious days spent in delight.
Magical moonlit nights top my list,
Where the ocean takes on a different persona.
Shimmering silver waters reflecting the moon,
That slowly rises from the ocean depths,
Night’s flimsy veil, partly illuminated,
White clouds highlighted.
Sunsets and rainbows come next,
Where vivid oranges and pinks merge with the blue horizon,
Or a light shower and a weak sun create rainbows of light.
Come thunder, lightning and angry waves,
We bolt for cover.
There is nothing I miss more than a walk along the coast,
With waves coming ashore to tickle my toes.
The many moods of the ocean I explore,
From dawn to dusk, storms and more.