Sand
Toe tickler, tooth grinder,
sandwich spoiler, puddle storer,
ripple raiser, sun tan stretcher,
somersault inspirer, smooth racing track
and tumble catcher,
raw material for many-turreted
castles of imagination, where
kings and queens rule in equity,
where multi-coloured armies,
waiting to be wind-whisked,
play rough-and-tumble games,
and all inhabitants live
in perpetual peace
never realising that when
the tide rises, they'll all
be swept away.
sandwich spoiler, puddle storer,
ripple raiser, sun tan stretcher,
somersault inspirer, smooth racing track
and tumble catcher,
raw material for many-turreted
castles of imagination, where
kings and queens rule in equity,
where multi-coloured armies,
waiting to be wind-whisked,
play rough-and-tumble games,
and all inhabitants live
in perpetual peace
never realising that when
the tide rises, they'll all
be swept away.
This poem is copyright (©) Alwyn Marriage 2024
About the Writer
Alwyn Marriage
Alwyn's fifteen books include poetry, fiction and non-fiction and she's widely published in magazines, anthologies and on-line. Her latest books are The Elder Race (fiction), and Pandora's pandemic and Possibly a pomegranate (both poetry). Formerly a philosophy lecturer and then Chief Executive of two international literacy and literature aid agencies, for the last 15 years she's been Managing Editor of Oversteps Books. She gives lectures and readings all over Britain and Europe, and in Australia and New Zealand. www.marriages.me.uk/alwyn
