Down By The Sea

Where the tumbling frothing surf, Meets the sand dunes' spiky turf, And daring seagulls dive and screech, Above the sunny sandy beach, Inventive children with bucket and spade, Run down from the esplanade. Lobster pots are drawn up to dry, Beneath the blue and breezy sky, And seaweed waiting for the tide, Lies still, with nowhere else to hide, And the tangy, salty languid air, Makes one want to stand and stare. A crab who liked the noonday heat, Makes a speedy fast retreat, As all his space has been invaded, By humans looking for a shaded Place to sit, and rest, and play, On this hot shifting sand, today. Then wafting gentle winds whose kiss, Anoint our bodies with cooling bliss, As through the hours of burning sun, We try to get our tans well done. They, nowhere else, could better be, Than on the shore, down by the sea. © Ernestine Northover