The Cove

“…its dangerous, stay off the rocks, you’ll slip and drown!” 

the keepers long dead voices, 

sounding in my mind as if they were standing right behind me even now

“No it’s magical!”  (when you’re eight)

At the far south end of the beach

where the land rose up and turned towards the ocean,

large rocks ,ballast to hold the road above, like a jetty

filled the corner,  and  ran out into the sea

when the tide was running in , the rocks got hidden

beneath waves , later when the tide was at the ebb

the rocks came back  , the crown, then neck, finally shoulders,

small pools teeming with wondrous creatures, at their feet

a boy could scramble across the rocks to get to the big pools

at the risk of slipping falling getting cut by sharp unseen things

and stand between the rocks in the small pools of water

and in these pools, become part of the magic

                       

hermit crabs scurrying out of reach, starfish silently watching,

muscles, seemingly easy prey, hung on against prying fingers,

small darters, tiny fish, too fast to catch, even when baseball caps were nets….,

aloof anemones, tentacles waving with the motion of the waves, whispering

“…stay here with us, don’t go home…”