Crescent Beach

We check in at two, head straight for the beach 

At the top of the dune a new world bursts into view

White sand for miles, like a blanket of snow 

Facing us from the west, the vast expanse of the Gulf of Mexico

Blue-black in the distance, lighter shades in the middle  

Then pale green as it arrives near the shore 

Rhythmic sounds of waves and beach colliding 

The horizon, a perfectly straight line from north to south

Separating/connecting the sea and the sky

Sunshine, gentle breezes, bathers enveloped in warmth 

The beach is dotted with bright blue umbrellas

A long-legged bird prowls the water’s edge 

Locked inside seashells, ancient crabs dig burrows in the sand 

Two pelicans pass overhead, oblivious to the intruders below

But pushy seagulls scavenge for humans’ cast-off crumbs 

Waist-deep in the ocean, fishermen patiently hunt for unseen prey

I step into the water, a chill greets my ankles

Slowly, gingerly, I gradually reach waist deep 

Icy needles jabbing at my skin

Finally I grit my teeth, plunge into the oncoming whitecap 

Brrrr, such body-shock… 

I wave my arms, bounce up and down

But then, like a miracle, the water warms to my skin 

Eventually I succumb to the waves, letting them carry me back to the shore 

Katja is napping in her beach chair

Her cheeks already turning reddish-pink 

Tiny sails in the distance, kite-surfers flitting across the waves

Bicyclists and joggers use the hard sand as a roadway

Inside a giant sand castle, a small boy adds still one more turret 

A young couple throw a baseball, two girls gather shells 

I read a few chapters, solve one Sudoku puzzle, fail on a second

So warm and peaceful, I drift off too 

Dreaming of younger days on the beach in Wildwood

We break for supper, return at eight

The sun, just halfway through its twilight extravaganza 

Wispy clouds, brilliant yellows, oranges, and reds, a lavender backdrop 

A crowd has assembled at the water’s edge

All facing west, enamored of the show 

The huge red ball touches the horizon, then slowly disappears into the sea

Curtains drawn, the audience departs, the beach goes to sleep

The ocean shore — a world we rarely experience

So opposite from our mundane Midwestern environment 

And we, in these alien surroundings, are turned into different beings

Better, happier beings, more together, more in tune 

Will we hold onto those blissful moments?