shirt-sleeved
ties awry
men joining
families
a respite from
the daily grind
wincing at the heat
of the day
eat soggy
sandwiches
sip scalding tea
from plastic cups.
on the
ice-cream run
kids push to the queue’s front,
barely grasping their cones
with too small hands.
barefoot
awkwardly
stepping on warm stone
return rushing to parents
tongues taste
cold vanilla.
they play away
scattering sand
building castles
with buckets
and spades
adults buried up
to their necks
beachballs bounce
unaided
by hands.
the beach was the place
to be for all
for rich and poor
for big
or small
the “downtown baths”
were still there then
where swimmers met
the smell of brine.
The Eclectic Audio Lab 