Edith Poem by bob barci

The waves do it.
They bring in the water
that covers my feet
as I stroll along the sand of this beach.
I look out at the ocean
and know soon
that I shall be out there
playing in the waves.
More importantly though,
are the toys that the ocean
will wash up on the shore.
They are gently picked up
to be examined by me.
Some are tossed back
so that, my friend, the ocean, won’t miss them.
I treasure the ones
I find to be of interesting shape and color.
The ones that are full, complete, and hard to find,
become my pride and joy,
my prized possessions.
I hold these toys in my hand,
as I find them,
and raise it to the sky
and I quietly whisper –
“Look, Grandma, look what I found. It’s for you.”
I envision the woman,
my mother’s mother,
walking the beach with me
and giving me pointers on what type of toys to look for.
Then, she vanishes,
going back to her rightful place in Heaven,
with the toys that I found for her.
She’ll accidentally leave behind
some of them for me, as a keepsake.
I wonder what this talented woman
would have done with the toys that she left behind.
What type of jewelry, or knick-knack
would she have turned it into
with her skillful hands?
These are more than just toys of the ocean.
They were her livelihood.
And for me,
they hold memories of a loved one.





Dedicated to Edith Morgan