A Run on the Beach by danisabella
The sun was coming up behind the ocean
one morning
and I wrote her name in the sand
and I took a picture of the sand and sun
and by sunset that evening
her name was gone
forever taken by the tide
another edit in life
but I had the picture
had it developed
then picked it up a few days later
then sent it to her
to which she replied
that’s lovely
and a few years later
she was gone
and we took her ashes to the same sand
forever taken by the tide
another edit in life
but the best thing about the tide
is
it always comes back
and I still have that picture
another waiting edit in life
—-
she goes to the desert
looks at the wash
goes to the market
comes back with Tide
—-
throw the ball to the ocean’s edge
the dog chases
and just like the tide
the ball comes back
over and over
there’s nothing more disgusting
than a wet tennis ball covered
by dog spit and beach sand
its own blend of sap
and after we return home
there’s nothing more sappy
than telling the dog
it’s time to take a tubby
in the sound of her voice
—-
fuel the truck
do the responsible thing
get the receipt for the tax man
wash the hands
walk down the street to the hamburger joint
as I approach
there is no one in line
but then from around the corner
a class trip of mostly teenage girls
is walking into the place
and I’m at the back of the line
reconsidering responsibilty
a voice over the pa says customer 30
I look at the kids
customer 34
I think about my own teenage years
and no responsibilty
customer 39
one of the girls looks like
a girlfriend from those days
what was I thinking
but then she smiles
I might have been thinking that
customer 46
I go up for my burger
customer 53 I hear
as I begin to leave
I approach the glass door
and see my reflection in the glass
and I consider the years
that are now gone
outside the pa system says
customer 57
customer 61
I consider the future
Just when I think I’ve unearthed all of the Flagstaff Missed Connections poems, I surprise myself by finding another gem.
