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The Mystery Bay Store

A quaint little store on Mystery Bay, its cast iron stove stoked with hard woods, selling fresh oysters and catch of the day— with local ice cream and sundry baked goods. Optional clothing whenever low tide, as the beach sign outside proudly claims, but summer’s a memory, such exhibits denied, so we gather inside and sit by the flames. Tourists stop by, dismissed by old salts, till asked to regale us of days now gone by. Each lifts his mug of cold foaming malts, and each one in turn quickly spins a new lie. The old boards ‘neath our feet creak and complain, as we shuffle our way past good friends to the door— counting the days until we come again, to part with our coins at the Mystery Bay store. Submit a Smile Contest Honorable Mention, Submit a Smile, Poet Destroyer A

Copyright © | Year Posted 2013




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Date: 6/26/2014 8:54:00 PM
Very impressive poetry and the touch of nostalgia is powerful! Truly enjoyed!
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Mark Peterson
Date: 3/6/2016 6:28:00 PM
Here you comment was completely overlooked until I happened onto it today, only a year and a half late. Thanks for the thoughts you left then. Good to see and remember your name.
Date: 1/25/2014 7:54:00 AM
Mark, I loved the feeling of nostalgia in this poem. Must really be nice, if tourists can make the trek all the way out there. Many of my poems are also about nostalgia, but usually the crusty kind, worn smooth and shiny by the years. Love the general area. Spent a few days after an Alaskan cruise. I'd love to go in mushroom season.
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Mark Peterson
Date: 3/4/2014 12:53:00 AM
Roy, your comment slipped past me, and I apologize. It's a lovely place, but most tourists are drawn to nearby Port Townsend. We go out there with the dogs; to buy fresh oysters or dig clams ourselves. We had 12" diameter Prince mushrooms last fall right here in the yard. Lots of mushrooms. The state flower is mildew.
Date: 12/31/2013 5:38:00 PM
So much warmth in this and definitely makes one smile. Congrats on the win!
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Mark Peterson
Date: 1/14/2014 7:40:00 PM
Thanks, Karen. This is a special place and makes me smile too. Sometimes my prose gets rather involved, so I wrote a simple thing just to see if I could.
Date: 12/29/2013 4:38:00 AM
Enjoyed your poem and congratulations on the fine win,Mark
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Mark Peterson
Date: 12/29/2013 8:28:00 AM
thanks Dr. Ram. You've been doing quite well yourself and are a grand community supporter as well. I miss the time I spent in India a couple years ago and still have some lovely friends there, particularly Nainesh Vora of Image Engineering in Mumbai. Happy New Year!
Date: 12/28/2013 9:22:00 PM
Mark, :) , CONGRATULATIONS, thank you for supporting my SMILE contest. :) Wishing you a Warm And Heartfelt New Year. Take care.... LINDA
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Mark Peterson
Date: 12/28/2013 11:19:00 PM
Thanks, Linda. I hope it made yo happy. And, speaking of that, HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Date: 12/28/2013 7:04:00 AM
Enjoyed the poem and congrats on the win,Mark
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Mark Peterson
Date: 12/28/2013 11:20:00 PM
Thank you Dr.Ram. I so appreciate your visits. You'll have great poetry for us all to enjoy in 2014. So HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Date: 12/28/2013 3:21:00 AM
Very impressive piece Mark. Such perfect rhyming Quatrains.
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Mark Peterson
Date: 12/28/2013 11:22:00 PM
Mustapha, thanks so much for your kind remarks. I think I get the technical part all right, but there are then so many great poets who also get the feeling and poetry right as well. I'll keep trying, thanks to your encouragement. I'll visit soon.
Date: 12/27/2013 1:50:00 AM
Mark, .. CONGRATULATIONS -thank you for supporting my contest. Wishing you the best when it comes to Health and Happiness, this coming New Year! xox..Linda
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Date: 12/22/2013 9:16:00 AM
Thanks to all of you who have commented on my poems this year and a very Merry Christmas to you all.
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Date: 12/22/2013 7:37:00 AM
You painted a vivid description of this place. You invited me into the store and I enjoyed every minute. Thank you for your visit and encouraging comments.
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Mark Peterson
Date: 12/22/2013 9:15:00 AM
Thanks for your visit and comments Monterey. Please stop by again.
Date: 12/21/2013 11:04:00 PM
hmmm, this sounds like a store that you are very well acquainted with!! What a nice tribute to a place that sounds so quaint. I am picturing some of the stores I saw along Oregon and CA coastal towns but I am sure it is probably in some other area?
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Mark Peterson
Date: 12/22/2013 12:24:00 AM
It is a store I'm acquainted with. Search Google Images for the Nordland General Store, and you will see the real thing.
Date: 12/21/2013 7:57:00 AM
Ah man...loved it....wanna go! But I grew up in smalltowns with places similiar to this...but no where near the sea...just lakes...wonderfully shared!
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Mark Peterson
Date: 12/21/2013 7:01:00 PM
Donna, thanks very much. Maybe we all had a favorite store at some time. Glad this one is near now. The poem was lots of fun to write, and I hope it makes Linda happy.
Date: 12/20/2013 5:01:00 AM
You have an excellent contender here to win, Mark. I've never been to New England, but I felt like I was at Cape Cod while reading this. You whisked me away to an unfamiliar place and you made it feel familiar; not an easy accomplishment. Kudos, my friend; enjoyed this poem very much :)
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Mark Peterson
Date: 12/20/2013 7:01:00 PM
Thanks, Chan. I'm sure such little places exist all over the place. The one I wrote about is in the little town of Nordland, about fifteen minutes' drive away. Its on Marrowstone Island, and we have a dream of eventually living there. Search Google images for the Nordland General Store to see the place I wrote about.
Date: 12/19/2013 5:01:00 PM
Ooo.. I'm just gonna smile... :) PD
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Mark Peterson
Date: 12/20/2013 12:38:00 AM
That's a dream come true for me. Happy Holidays, you and yours.
Date: 12/19/2013 7:00:00 AM
I love the mood and feel of this piece, it reminds me of Selulita in Mexico. It is a surfing village near Nuevo Vallarta. This did make me smile.
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Richard Lamoureux
Date: 12/19/2013 7:08:00 PM
Sounds Great, I am jealous.
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Mark Peterson
Date: 12/19/2013 12:42:00 PM
Oh, I'm glad you got a grin out of it Richard. We're going there today, and I'm taking a copy of the poem for them to hang in the bathroom or wherever.
Date: 12/18/2013 3:13:00 AM
Fantastic images, you really give a sense of the store. I can nearly smell the place, feel the sand on the floor. Nicely done.
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Mark Peterson
Date: 12/18/2013 8:31:00 AM
Scott, love your avatar. I appreciate your vivid comment. Yes, there's some sand on the floor. Wish I had worked that in. See you again soon.
Date: 12/17/2013 6:24:00 PM
Love the story and the rhyming that goes with it.
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Mark Peterson
Date: 12/17/2013 7:36:00 PM
Hi David: Sometimes things just fall into place. I'm glad when something light hearted occurs to me instead of the usual brink of doom sort of rhyme that usually comes knocking on my mind's door when I sit down to write.
Date: 12/17/2013 1:28:00 PM
Enjoyed reading this one..It was very descriptive and expressive work..I could see a scene of old men at the sea..Your presence at my work was uplifting..Sara
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Mark Peterson
Date: 12/17/2013 7:35:00 PM
Thanks for these kind words, Sara. This one was fun to write, and I'm gratified by the response.
Date: 12/17/2013 7:23:00 AM
reminds me of sausalito, mark.. beautifully executed with fine and mellow details of a shop i can relate to.. you are wonderful!.. huggs
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Date: 12/17/2013 5:17:00 AM
I enjoyed the light humor flowing, Mark
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Date: 12/16/2013 11:09:00 PM
That was such a beautiful quaint poem Mark, beautiful read, in fact I remember when little stores were like that, cute. Vera
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Mark Peterson
Date: 12/17/2013 12:33:00 AM
Vera, thanks so very much for coming to visit and bringing me treasured thoughts about this fun little write about a favorite little retail spot near where we live. It truly is just as we remember, but this one still exists with paperbacks and videos to borrow, curious goods and fabulous deals on food just brought in. See you soon.
Date: 12/16/2013 6:50:00 PM
Mark great write here. Love the shore and all those "old salts"
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Mark Peterson
Date: 12/16/2013 7:22:00 PM
Joseph, dear friend, I'm always delighted to see your name here on my pages and greatly appreciate the kind words. See you again soon.
Date: 12/16/2013 6:18:00 PM
very vividly described and enjoyable to read - thanks!
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Mark Peterson
Date: 12/16/2013 7:23:00 PM
So glad you enjoyed it Ilene. Marci wanted me to write something happy and light for a change. Soon I'll plunge back into darkness again.
Date: 12/16/2013 5:57:00 PM
A nice little verse expressed very well. : ) A delightful read indeed. Always, Laura
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Mark Peterson
Date: 12/16/2013 7:25:00 PM
Laura, so nice to make your acquaintance, especially as the bearer of praise! I was prevailed upon to deviate from my obstruse, recondite and veiled gloom rhymes and so wrote about a favorite nearby store. I'm going to run it out to them and see if they'd like to hang it up somewhere--maybe in the john.

Book: Shattered Sighs