Salisbury Beach - 8/22/2009

Hot, hazy, & humid, stifling so,
as hurricane spirals up coast
from way down south.
Dark, ominous, rain soaked,
clouds gather scattered
teasing blue sky & sun;
white light crackles, splitting grey,
followed immidiately by thunderous roar,
static dissapates into air,
hair stands on end.

Driving to the coast from Lawrence, Mass,
chased up highway by storm,
sprinkles moisten windshield, asphalt,
threatening down pours, then stop as we pass
definate dividing line of precipitation & clear;
black bank approaches marshland, summer homes,
image of Neverending Story, The Nothing,
looms over beach houses,
heat along fences & dunes,
cool at ocean's edge.

Frolicing in the eight foot surf,
battered by crashing, storm warmed, waves,
tempting the undertow pushing, pulling body
deeper, under surface, depths want poet,
Neptune's request for private show, denied;
legs furiously pumping,
kicking up sand, seaweed, & shells,
hands grabbing desperately for hold,
pote drags, swims, washes through swarming tide
safely to higher ground every time.

Boogie boarding, romping, splashing
friends enjoy storm whipped Atlantic,
cameras record moments in flashes
as dim light becomes dimmer.
With a great boom, clouds open
like bomb bay doors, & release their load,
hard, heavy, rain drops
pelting sand, sea, & swimmers,
drops ripple roiling water
& roll down scantily clad bodies.

Towels, blankets, chairs, clothes soaked
by rain & surprise wave that ran up beach,
so much for getting dry after swim.
Down pour hampers swimmers not,
already wet, they dive into waves with vigor,
ride the billowing, frothing, slip & slide,
& wash up on shore like a sand shark,
flopping & rolling in the surf, scraping skin,
& yowling with childlike joy.

Call goes out, "time to leave!"
Pruned poet screams, "NOOOO!"
runs down sloping sand to water
waving arms, leaping, skipping, diving,
back into crashing, tumbling sea.
Friends giggle at frolicing pote-child
unwilling to split the stormy scene.
One last dip below white caps
& disobeying adult returns to group,
dripping & laughing at his folly.

Rain-ocean soaked friends
return to vehicles, salty, sandy, happy,
reluctantly, returning to Lawtown.
Drive slowy home under lightening sky
hurricane clouds thinning as eye approaches,
it's going to be a beautiful sunny afternoon
& evening as storm's center passes,
followed closely by swirling weather
who's arrival is predicted for Sunday.

Hot, hazy, & humid, stifling so,
as hurricane spirals up coast
from way down south.
Dark, ominous, rain soaked,
clouds gather scattered
teasing blue sky & sun;
white light crackles, splitting grey,
followed immidiately by thunderous roar,
static dissapates into air,
hair stands on end...again.

& what a spectactular weekend it was!