May Evening: Portrush East Strand Poem by bryan wallace

A boat comes sailing into view -
The navy-blue mainsail framed against
The cloud-dappled pale blue sky.
Little waves roll and break into chalk-white salty foam
As the ebb and flow of the tide -
Continue nature's relentless march.

Concerned parents, watching the weans,
Playing with a ball at the water's edge.
While others play with bucket and spade,
Elaborate sand-castles they build - higher and higher.

The teenage lovers walk hand-in-hand -
True romance that they think that will never end.

The blonde haired woman in a red fleece top -
A cricket ball in her hand, a Labrador at her side.
The dog wags his tail, and impatiently nudges her hand.
He bounds along with genuine glee,
As the ball arcs higher and higher -
It's a game that can enjoyed again and again.

A twenty-something year old woman
Sits on a rock in the May-sun's warming gaze.
The latest celebrity gossip she reads -
As she leafs through her glossy magazine.

Two grey-haired old gentlemen,
Shuffle aimlessly along the sand dunes -
Their minds lost in private whispered conversation.
One turns his back to the wind -
To light a cigarette,
Before continuing their top secret conference.

The surfers catch the waves -
Black wetsuits glistening in the may-day sun,
Highlighting their toned and rippling muscles.

A group of teenagers congregate,
Around a small transistor radio.
Bottles of cheap cider are passed around -
Some are up dancing to the latest beat.

Barefoot and alone -
I walk along the water's edge -
Deep in a meditative state.
I stop, I turn around -
Looking at my footsteps behind me;
Shallow impressions upon the soft damp sand -
Lasting evidence of my evening saunter.

A small wave comes rolling in,
I watch, and I ponder,
As it erases all traces of my journey.
I contemplate that that is our contribution
To nature's endless cycle.

We are like footsteps in the sand -
There for now -
Before being washed away
By the never ending ebb and flow -
Then gone forever.
We best make sure we enjoy it whilst we can.