Dungeness shingle beach, Kent
When the noise of inner city
— siren, shouts, traffic, trains,
door slams, blues parties —
gets too much,
when sleep is shut out
then seashore susurration
of surf sucking shingle
— irregular yet interminable —
shushes out of speakers
from blessedly ambient CD,
soothing the stresses and strains
of a jangled day
Exercise written for a creative writing class on attentiveness and feeling
sibillant squeals,
insistent, persistent:
parent-pestering young gull,
close-following, food-demanding,
noisome, brain-numbing:
nature’s survival ploy
seconds tick, cries continue,
minutes pass with constant mews;
unsated hunger; wanders wide;
wonder of wonders! parent flies,
youngster follows, peace returns:
save for surf’s hiss, bliss now reigns
but I still hear it
Summer memories
of simmering heat and sea?
Winter disbelief
Nine word story and senryu rolled into one (image: Broad Haven South, Pembrokeshire)
raindrops on windscreen
dribbling down wiper runnels
draining to the sea
lifeguard uniform
scarlet yellow flag matching
red sun sandy beach
sea cut off from land
railings on the esplanade
see but do not touch
Zenrinji 