On The Beach Poem by Paul Judges

In the UK, donkey rides and building sand castles are still popular, but we cannot control the tide....

ON THE BEACH

We tried to channel
the moody North Sea
into a giant hole
of Scarborough sand

but the donkey
handler, just laughed
and started walking
his beasts inland

‘I’ll give you
ten out of ten
for effort, but
tide’s already turned

and it won’t be
the April sun
that gets these
youngsters burned’

he knew the bay
and his strip of sand
and wind that always
slaps your cheek

even middle
of August
could feel like
Christmas week

on the way back
home, we heard
unearthly
singing

wild waves
white gulls
red ears, still
ringing