My Message In A Bottle Poem by Marilyn Shepperson

As I walked along that lonely shore
Miles and miles from anywhere
A thick sea mist obscured the horizon
Even the gulls were quiet
On that cold, dank day
There were plenty of shells and pebbles
Plenty of wrack and other seaweeds
Rusty tins, bits of wood, broken china
Lengths of rope and even a bucket and spade
It was then that I spied the bottle
Left by the tides retreat
Wedged firmly between two rocks
At the top of a small pool
Just an old fashioned wine bottle
Clear glass, a dip in it's base
A cork rammed well into it's neck
Inside I could see a roll of paper
Secured by an elastic band
Was it a note from some shipwrecked sailor
Marooned on some uncharted island
Or a letter from someone to their lover
In the forlorn hope they might meet again
It might even have been a hoax
Dropped from some passing ship
Curiosity overcame my reluctance
I took it back home with me
I got the cork out; it took some effort
And finally extracted the paper
I removed the band and unrolled the page
To read, if I could, what was there
Somehow the sun or maybe the sea
Had so faded the writing and blured the ink
That all I could read, was the bit at the bottom
Which said, All my love, John.