By the Sea, By the Sea: A Day on Dog Beach

Waves bowl in
and starfish snap their fingers,
"Strike!"
Mussels bow their stiff necks
and barnacles hiss,
"Shhhooooo, baby, they never miss."
Seagulls sail and swoop
while pelicans strut their stuff;
Sandcrabs hurry sideways,
but clams can't get enough.
Blond-haired boys in wet suits
sit like seals on surfboards;
lovers lie on blankets
wearing dark sunglasses;
singles jerk their heads around
when each bronze body passes.
A wave withdraws and in its claws
ten tons of shells and sand:
It's better to be beaten by sea
than beatified on land.


(Arkansas Magazine, Arkansas Democrat, June 24, 1984)