...
The relentless tide
Washing over and over
The sands, rippling
Drags in a twist
Of turquoise rope
Water bottle, crushed
Shards of plastic
A decomposing dolphin
The stench of seaweed
Rancid, choking
It’s hard to breathe
Hard to focus
On the horizon’s gleam
Even the sky threatens
The tide is a pull
To the ocean’s oblivion
But stand in the shallows
Breathe in deeply
Spy a piece of sea glass
A groatie buckie—for luck
And a seal’s soft gaze
Out beyond in the water
Stand and look up
The gleaming—shines on
...
Ellen Forkin is a chronically ill artist, writer and poet living in Orkney, Scotland.
www.ellenforkin.co.uk
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