Chiaroscuro

Deformed cypress surface, then disappear.
Twisted shapes linger, float against drifting mist.

Dog walkers navigate a narrow swath, stop
and go along a winding trail leading to beach.

Flapping squadrons of cranky gulls quarrel,
occupy fractured stone, silvery driftwood.

Deceptive horizons melt like mirages;
the only constant, a continual whisper of surf.

It’s a mysterious morning, fleeting
phantoms dissipated by rising sun’s heat.