SPRINGTIME SHORE

by

Ed Matlack

Spring has arrived.

The warming rays of the sun

and the tepid southerly flow of winds

chases to the north the frigid wintry breezes.

Of all the seasons of the year,

Spring is the most charming,

and uncomplicated,

beckoning me to participate

in the enjoyment of its pleasures.

The ocean,

still too cold for all but the ardent of swimmers,

quietly and serenely awaits

the eventual arrival of vacationing throngs.

The beach,

unburdened by trash and footprints,

gathers unto itself, preparing for the onslaught

of picnickers, strollers, and game-players.

All animal and human shore dwellers

cautiously relinquish their warm winter abodes,

flocking to the shore.

The egrets,

with their orange beaks and bleached-white feathers,

land to pick at the beach

for their daily sustenance.

As suddenly as they appear,

they are gone,

flapping their wings and disappearing out over the ocean.

Smaller gulls awaken

from their short wintry slumber,

foraging for food.

Theirs?  Mainly handouts

given them by daily fishing fleets.

Man, shedding his protective clothing,

converges on the beach

in an early effort to procure a suntan

before the busy days of summer arrive.

The Boardwalk,

forgotten in the wintry months,

is now the focal point of activity.

Kites sail in the sky,

where not long ago, snowflakes fell.

Where but the shore

can one find the beauty and warmth

of Nature in such abundance?

Where indeed?

Everything that has life

gives its sign of satisfaction with Nature.

Shore birds basking in the sunlight

reflect the same tranquil thoughts

as Man and his world today.

On pleasant spring days,

Man’s transgressions against Nature

are forgiven ten-fold.

The distant horizon is the point

where reality and fantasy meet.

Fantasy is the sky—

its puffy dreamlike clouds

drifting on their way to nowhere.

And reality is the ocean—

being touched and understood by Man.

Enchantments of the spring shore are medicinal.

They sober and heal me.

No other place on earth can fulfill me.

No cities, no plains, no mountains

give me the same room

to expand the horizons of my senses.

Where but the shore

can one find the beauty and warmth

of Nature in such abundance?

Where indeed?

                             (edited by Bobbi Hess)