My Present

The beach is strewn
With a thousand
Shells, rocks, sticks, fossils.
Each has a story to tell
Of how it came to be
Here.

Every day something new
Speaks to me.
Though seemingly random,
There is a timeless march
Of water, sea and sand.

A gull swoops down for breakfast.
Waves slosh against rocks and shore.
Pulling back to leave their
Cross hatch vestiges
Which perplex me.

It is here
Day after day
Time immemorial
My present.

Infinite Possibilities

I was fortunate to get away for a week to an island with a beautiful beach. 

Amid a smooth stretch of beach
Leading me down the aisle
I espied a love object
Beckoning my gaze.

A fossilized rock of sea creatures
No bigger than a deck of cards
With indentations for my fingers
Like a bowling ball.

It begged me to pick it up
Its meaning was clearly
To focus my attention
And glean its wisdom.

A cross between a fish and turtle
Perforated with circles and holes
Some dimples, others craters
One through which I see the whole world.

Containing vestiges of shells
The homes of sea creatures long gone
When I turn it over
There's a hippopotamus!