I’ve wandered a lot this summer, writer’s notebook and pen at the ready. I’m beginning to wonder where one draws the line between observing with a writer’s eyes and spying…At any rate, during a recent visit to the beach, I was entranced by a slice from an unknown family’s life.
At the edge of the ocean
on a warm summer’s day,
they linger at the tidal pool.
A father and two daughters.
Exploring.
The older one dashes away,
calling over her shoulder,
“I’m going to get a bucket!”
She clambers over rocks,
returning shortly,
clutching a faded pink pail.
Setting it beside her,
she crouches at the edge,
one hand grasping granite,
the other plunging
into the pool.
Questing.
The younger one
stands in the water,
her father nearby.
In small hands,
she gathers fistfuls of her sundress
lifting it high.
Her shoulder blades jut slightly
from beneath tender skin.
Her short downy hair is mussed,
softly tousled by the breeze,
lit by the sun.
She bends her neck
to peer into the water.
Searching.
Spying something,
her hands release,
her dress falls,
unheeded about her legs.
She points to some treasure
in that tidal pool,
drawing her father’s and sister’s eyes.
One day
they may sit together again
and reminisce
sifting through the sands of memory
back to this day on the beach
to remember this golden moment
sparkling with
sunlight,
warmth,
discovery.
Treasure.
Nix the comfort zone 
What a beautiful memory to share, your kids will appreciate this one day!
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The problem is, Jenny, this isn’t my family–lol–hence my wondering about spying. I think it’s the zoom lens and pictures that moves me into the spy zone…
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I love your poem, but I really love the idea of ‘spying’ with a writer’s eye. 🙂
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Love, love, love your poem. You have definitely observed with a writer’s eye in a spying fashion. I felt like I was there on the beach spying too!
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Beautiful beach and poem!
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I don’t think of it as actual spying, just closely observing for your own entertainment. Recently I heard Lester Laminack talk about overhearing a remark and that was developed into his next book. You have done the same, just with visuals. I love how specific your details were, Makes me wonder what she discovered in that tide pool.
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This is what the joy of writing is all about – noticing, letting your imagination go, playing with the right words and format. Lovely.
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