Anemones and Shells My Childhood

As I recall my past, it was a sea kissed life summers spent roaming the Rabbit Burrows cradled by dunes, beyond Tramore strand towels stretched out on Woodstown beach soft powdered sand, surrounded by forest adventures in the Saleens, daring quicksand of swimming with dad, high jumping waves falling, laughing in great gulps of salt water free and fearless, in our bare bronzed years It was a sea salted life of wave-washed castles of tide pools, alive with translucent shrimps carmine anemones sucked tight to the rocks periwinkles, hermit crabs, a world of shells baby pink crabs moving sideways over stone textured algae, salted, crisping in the heat our faces stinging with sand and hot sunshine we spent hours with nets, exploring the pools After months and years of living near the sea the landscape became an essential part of me. I saw fuchsia ballerinas pirouette the breeze sea pinks, grassy rosettes swaying on cliff tops rocket, tiny lilac petals with succulent leaves valerian, a candy floss pink, sweetly scented We picked them and pressed them into books I recall my child’s life with a skipping heart when summers seemed to shine eternal The rock pools taught us to treasure nature togetherness bred a strong sense of self a respect for the sea, the taste of freedom when I open a book, I often find a flower and shells - this child is forever combing