A Family Picnic
The sand is hot and gritty as they trudge
Along, full stretching their calves and Achilles,
Until she finds the spot for them to lodge.
A tattered spread stakes out their boundaries,
The picnic things now organized with ease.
Father hefts their cooler out of the way,
While mother sorts the beach gear for the day.
The children grab plastic buckets and shovels
For castles and forts beyond the reach of waves.
They dance and dig and pack wet sand by handfuls
Until the walls and moats are firmly paved.
They work away to build a secret cave,
Possessing nary a care or other concern
Except to save the Queen any bad turn.
His cell phone rings, “The office, I need to answer!”
With a chagrin, he flips open the phone
And starts to talk. Off the spread he saunters
Across the sand a ways to be alone,
Where he can freely chat adjusting his tone.
She wonders, “Really, the office, his day off?”
She jettisons the thought not wishing to scoff!
She watches the children race back to their square,
“Mom, we’re thirsty, may we have a drink, Please?”
“Of course, first brush the sand out of your hair!”
With motherly flair and enjoying the breeze
She sticks the straws in cartons of juice with ease.
Loud slurps and gulps followed by noonday snacks.
He swirls the sand continuing to chat.
To water’s edge they run to check out how
Their castle wall is holding. Stretching to clear
The crumbs and snacks, she sees a femme fatale
Wading nearby! Aware of her allure,
She wonders if his stare she will procure.
The coming scene, perhaps we can predict it,
Yet ordinary humans must depict it.
As it happens, she walks across the sand
A bit beyond the castle moats and fortress
To wade in water near this Venus grand.
Although his call had eased some telling stress,
Disquieted he is by carelessness.
His kids, a ways off, shaping their creation,
His wife, bound for a different destination.
gkpoetry 