Shore
by Shellie Nicholson


Shadows darken a log lying
At the threshold of a beach
As if these wooden shadows guard
A secret cradle of sun and sand dug between two cliffs.

A boy's approaching feet
Match the log in their firmness.
Easily straddling the log,
The boy turns his head towards waves crashing
Against jutted rocks. Spitting balls of foam
Splatter on rocks as water smoothes
Sand and recedes into the ocean.

The boy's black sweater gathers heat. Warmth moistens
And bakes his half closed eye lids.
Skimming his legs over the log's bumps,
His feet plant only for a moment
In the sand before they bolt
Towards the receding line of foam.






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