Ashore

margins stimulate and juxtapose edges greet with troubled, disturbing friction faraway forces exert influence and combine relentlessly how the Sun and Moon dance together about the planet Earth their grasping hands pull the tidal movement around the ocean caressing the shore beside the sea near the coast expectation rises enter first a magic land of machair and marram grass where improbable miracles bloom with bright desert flowers noise muffled in a quiet oasis clearing between tall tufted clumps tucked below the dunes, cut with crumbling suggested sandy ways hear a distant rhythmic w-a-s-h of sound mating dragonflies pause and dart ladybirds unfold their wings and count their spots caterpillars crawl to their next destination, while skylarks swoop excitement follows the wild sky, strange light reflecting scramble on all-fours, hands and feet anticipate, something in the air almost there, ... one final muscle burn! stumbling up and over, breathe in smell the shore, seaweed, salt spray, dimethyl-sulphide chest and head positively bouncing, zest of negative hydrogen ions senses merge sound and vision with slowly shifting interaction eyes drawn over blowing sand and shallow sloping flotsam zones carry on down to the edge of the world flecks of vegetation catch the cheek minute mineral grains sting, whip the pain of pleasure playing out snaking shapes, moving as one across the beach scurry before the wind, piling curvy shapes on half-hidden debris kick off shoes, scrunch the toes, stretching over damper sand walk in elation along the shoreline rapid air snatches at the ocean surface waves congregate and cumulate frequency sequenced, forming, gathering, advancing some monsters arise with their innards backlit, rolling, tumbling collapsing, cascading, pounding, splurging, foaming, tossing, spraying watch for hours, mesmerized waves retreat along the shoreline overwhelmed by the next inward rush overlapping runs, ridges raised with eddies pooling never exactly repeating the reach of the last pounce of the sea gentle thump crashing, slap of a dying wave, sibilance splashing feel alive, feet tingling wet the constant tide moves in and out gyrating current arriving from the dark cold depths where sea birds dive and gannets plunge fast disappearing feathered eyes observe, awaiting signs of flashing life and prey perched on irregular craggy rocks below the jutting cliff defence know that this is a dangerous place once a refuge for hominid species they were quartered in now-uplifted coastal caves bones scattered across the floor, etchings on the wall seaward bounty in times of climate change, encroaching drought profound maritime influence resonating throughout prehistory hear that eerie seashell sound go further back in deep, deep-time when cells were formed, enclosing and sealing fluid when copying the chemistry of ancient seas into our salty blood life evolving from smoking fumaroles, eventually flopping onto the land gaze longingly at expansive water covering most of our oceanic world learn to swim with the tides of our past leap forward now to modern times when armies escaped or invaded the beach-head bombardment, landing craft, machine guns, tanks and men floating bodies, barbed-wire entanglement and exploding mines where shadows of valour and fear still roam between old fortifications honour the dead and learn to avoid for those countries on the margin ripped apart by imperial and national ambition people flounder on sinking boats, incredulous voices implore acknowledge 'our' lives for 'your' future is caught up in 'our' existence, in 'our' survival, 'our' acceptance, 'our' thriving, 'our' contribution prevent 'our' children being washed ashore!