Beach Days

Birds fly high, wondering where it is they will go,

Down misty paths and roads, winds softly blow.

A little boy toddles, collecting shells at the shore,

Periwinkles and cockles, and many others more.

Cottages line up, the color of summery pastel chalks,

Observing from afar, as visitors plan their walks.

Dogs run excitedly, their fur full of sand and love,

As kites soar and flip, into the fluffy clouds above.

New worlds and civilizations are created in a day,

Castles with turrets and moats, never designed to stay.

In temporary glory as they look out to the shore,

Before they're claimed by the sea; their existence no more.

People sunbathe, reading, the beach curling in their toes,

Everyone is contented, and their happiness clearly shows.

To escape from the city, for just a sunny hour or two,

Heals the soul and heart, more than anything else could do.

Lovers walk hand in hand, with firm smiles on their faces,

As they ponder over the future, and distant far off places.

Children run excitedly, their laughter on the breeze,

Twisting over rooftops and mingling with the trees.

The wind is getting cooler now, and darkness sets in too,

Waves are green and murky, no longer tones of blue.

Clouds are thinning in the sky and birds fly home to sleep,

People start to leave, with memories to keep.

Pink, blue, and metallic shells, the boy loves them all,

He lines them up on display, along his bedroom wall.

Then he jumps into bed, and the beach is in his dreams,

A day to always remember, of family and ice creams.

Against the black sky, the pier twinkles far ahead,

Noises from arcade games fill the air instead.

Solid waves claim the beach, lapping to the shore,

Sandcastles that once stood there, are standing there no more.