February low tide

Cherry
Poem of the week

By Di_Hard

Fri, 02 Feb 2018
  • 6479 reads
19 comments
 

 

He comes in, rosy cheeks smooth-cool

to mine as the inside of half cockles

we used to collect on the beach

as big as his hands, then. The shells

we wanted, hinged like treasure chests

I'd cache with jewel-bright sea glass

and he with tiny perfect crabs, still

brooches torn from the cloak of sea.

 

"I have treasure for you!" he says proudly

sure of bringing delight, so full of it, like

we are two halves, hinged with memory.

 

He unslings his red rucksack and it thunks

to the carpet, and, green coat still on, bends

over, draws back the zip and with a flourish

pulls out a shell, a giant, perfect clam

a pink and white fan, wide as his hand's span

the kind that Botticelli's Venus glides in

and the ones we'd always searched for

never found. Then another, and another

in clattering decadent abundance. These

are the shells I'd looked for with my Dad

on holiday in Ireland, while there was magic

to be believed in - the mermaid shells

I'd told him of as we walked the shore

of the place we've come to, far away

from the real world. And he had found them

exploring with his best friend after school.

 

Certificate U
Poem

Comments

Submitted by airyfairy on

Oh Di, this is lovely.  It brought a proper lump to my throat.  Such wonderful use of language - 'still brooches torn from the cloak of the sea'.  This one will stay with me.

Submitted by Parson Thru on

Lovely images, Di_Hard. Maybe there's still magic somewhere.

Parson Thru

Submitted by Di_Hard on

Thankyou for your kind comment Airyfairy.

Parson, thankyou for taking the time to read this. Your writing makes Spain in the Spring magical

 

Submitted by Insertponceyfre... on

I love it when you do a bit of life writing Di - poetry and prose. What a magical place you live in, and how wonderful to be able to give that to a child as a place to call home

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

You capture the delight in the finding of such treasures, and of the memories, and the delight in sharing and awareness of the delight sharing will bring to the other, as you know each other so well. So much to look for at our feet in the country, or in looking out over views. And so good to share our pleasures in beautiful things, and thoughts. Rhiannon

 

Submitted by Ray Schaufeld on

Great poem, I like the family theme, the way you handle landscape and the way you get me along with you to the bach as winter begins to lift.

Submitted by Di_Hard on

Thankyou Insert. It IS  beautiful

 

Submitted by Insertponceyfre... on

I read your earlier comment - before editing. That does sound a bit rubbish! I hope things stabilise a bit for him

 

Submitted by Di_Hard on

Thanks Insert. I felt bad about dissing the island. The great thing is he has a strong network of friends who support each other and I think the happiness and self confidence he gets from this will be more important than exams.

 

Submitted by Insertponceyfre... on

.. it's very good he has that, and perhaps later, if he has a particular strength/passion that isn't being sufficiently catered to at school, you can find it elsewhere

 

Submitted by Di_Hard on

Yes. I just wish they did creative writing. When I asked about this at the parents' night the person who taught it said it was an option in the third year!!! His teacher now was on a course so couldn't talk to her. He has given up on writing. This may be for the best. He can use his imagination to invent games

 

Submitted by Di_Hard on

Thankyou for your close reading Rhiannon, I'm glad you found those things in there

 

Submitted by Di_Hard on

Thankyou Elsie. I don't know about your beach, but our's is BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRacing :0)

 

Submitted by Insertponceyfre... on

This is our Poem of the Week - Congratulations!

Pic:https://tinyurl.com/ya5akgag

 

Submitted by Di_Hard on

Wow! Thankyou so much

 

Submitted by Jane Hyphen on

This is wonderful. Life beneath the sea really is another world, beautiful little clues thrown onto the sand for us to find and cherish, sharing that experience with a child builds magical memories. Brooches torn from the cloak of the sea, is my favourite too, just perfect.

 

Submitted by Di_Hard on

Thankyou, Jane. Agree it's amazing looking under the water at the edge. Last year saw one of those big whelks - the kind whose empty shells you cn hear the sea in (not sure what their proper name is - like a sideways dollop of ice cream) slowly climbing about on some seaweed just as if it was a dinosaur compared to all the much smaller whelks and winkles and hermit crabs scurrying round. And the sea weed itself is like a liquid jungle swirling in the water. Am ashamed, while trying to find what the whelk is really called, to discover that the big shells which this was about are not cockles at all but scallops. Just as well he never listens to a word I say :0)

 

Submitted by Pat G on

The first few lines are so powerful I was hooked. "Hinged with memory" - a great line.

Submitted by Di_Hard on

Thankyou Pat for your comment. Was a bit worried about hinged being in there twice, but not sure of another word to use