Bouquet by the beach

When I walked up from the beach through the woods at Penbryn yesterday I was reminded of this poem, written in May 2016. It's also in my latest collection, 'Before we Breathe'
 

Bouquet by the beach

Wet wool hangs raw from barbs on a fence

where the smell of sheep had gathered,

 

ferns uncurl in woods to hide bluebells,

their fragrance sketched all over the air.

 

A thousand flowers of hawthorn open,

tiny stamens like dots of dust

Photo by Dave Urwin

 

on a perfect white cloth.

On cliffs where water falls sea pinks hug slate,

 

make thrift in abundance, overlaying

seaweed traces on a breeze.

 

Salt stings your lips, ties knots in your hair,

tickles your nose, fills your head.

 

In the café a caramel cookie rests

wide and flat, sweet and delicate in its thinness,

 

on a bone china plate; fragments of chocolate

soften in the sun,

 

and there is coffee. I breathe through the steam,

catch scents of chocolate, of bluebells, and the sea.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Those were the days

 This is me on the beach with my Dad when I was four years old. It would have been on the Kent coast somewhere. Here's a poem I wrote recently about memories from childhood beach holidays. It seems that I already knew something about social distancing in those days.

Those were the days

 

when rectangles of ice cream came in waxed paper,

you had to peel it off and place the little block in the cornet

or sandwich it between two thin wafers.

 

The white confection would melt in the sun

dribble over my hands, down chubby arms,

mingle with sand, a sweet grit stuck to skin.

 

What I remember most was the hot pricking,

salt-pique in heat under the bathing suit,

scratching,  itching.

 

Dad made castles just for me, and together

we chose paper flags to stick on top of tiny turrets –

with golden lions, red wolves, fiery dragons.

 

We’d dig a moat together and watch

as the tide came in to slowly wash it all away

in a sea of tears. I’d retreat to my rug

 

draw a big circle in the sand around me,

and no-one was allowed to cross the line.

do not disturb my sand, keep off!

 

I’m the Queen of the Castle.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gone swimmin'

Penbryn beach

 Another look at my relationship with water.

How she calls

She thirsts for me

and she calls,

whispers my name -

                come dance,

sometimes loud -

                come dive,

sometimes soft -

                come breathe.

Lapping with little slappings

to suggest, persuade,

she draws the undertow

so I feel the overthrow

arriving and departing

leaving and returning,

spreading her susurration

far away and close by

turn by turn

tide by tide

surge and suck,

pull in, come swim,

                dance in me,

so calls mother sea.

This poem was first published (Oct 2017) here: https://visualverse.org/images/leio-mclaren/

It is now part of my third poetry collection, 'Before we Breathe' (all about my relationship with the sea, especially the Cardigan Bay coast. Pub 2021 by The Littoral Press)

Summer

                       hair knotted with brine

 

                                          sharpness of salt

                                                        soft touch of a breeze

                                                                           seaweed scents

                                        hot gritty sand on bare feet

                                                                cool water around ankles

 

                                                            hauling

                                                                         as tide pulls    

                                                         tugs

                                                                        draws you

                                         seagulls call and shout

                                                                  horizons are everywhere

                  a world tensed tight

                                                       with struggles

                                                                                         unravels

                                    disentangles

                                                                       becomes free

                                               and you know how it feels

                                to see forever

                                                                         as far as love