By The Sea Poem by Leslie Ching

As we drive into the parking lot and pull into a spot,
The seashore park receives us with open arms and a friendly welcoming gesture,
While fresh salty scent of the ocean playfully slips into the car through the open windows
And sprinkles its blessing on our heads, leaving a vague feeling of longing and contentedness in the backseat;

When I step out of the car, a cool breeze wanders by, flicking at the strands of my hair and whispering secrets in my ear,
The sun beams down on me and spreads its warm blanket on the earth,
And the gentle foaming waves spray an invisible magical mist into air.

As I run lightly along the beach,
I can feel gritty grains of sand between my toes,
And the seawater tickling and splashing my ankles;
A flock of indignant squawking seagulls flapping noisily overhead
Disturb my peaceful daytime vigil-

Head tilted back, I look up and squint at tiny dots in the sky-
Multicoloured kites soar on the air currents,
Snapping good-naturedly at each others' tails
While their owners, confined to the ground, direct them to the skies and the heavens;

When the sun had stumbled down to the horizon, its radiance begun to dwindle,
The seagulls had flown,
And the kites taken down-
All that remained was the fresh salty scent of the ocean
And the calming hypnotic lull of the waves.

*Note-The seashore park described in this poem is based on a real one located in Vancouver, Canada. Its name is Stanley Park.
(12/22/08)