COMING SOON: BEACH SEASON

Actually, I'm kind of partial to the beach in fall, when the heat is not nearly so brutal. And I love it at night best of all. There's just something about the cool sand and warm breeze and scurrying crabs -- in the dark. Love it.

We are, however, talking about zipping down with the kids to the beach during spring break. But we've learned from experience not to make any hard and fast plans. We'll just wait and see what the weather is like that week, then decide.

Meanwhile, my new book THE COLOR OF LOST ROOMS contains several beach poems. Today I'd like to share one that was inspired by a painting in the permanent collection at National Museum of Art by Women in Washington, DC. Perhaps you've had a "beach scene" like the one below.

Thanks for reading. And for more wonderful poetry, don't forget to visit Mary Ann at Great Kids Books for Roundup!


Beach Scene
-after the painting by Jane Peterson

Sand in drifts,
parade of skin:
peach, pink,

ruddy, lobster.
Heat prickles,
tempers flare

bare feet sink,
splash, dash
buckets, shovels

tossed aside
for waves,
sea salt, foam.

Ocean grumbles,
roars, later
whispers,

I’m sorry
shhhhh
yes.