As we sleep - Seiju

[Larry Robinson]

As we sleep

In this coastal village
The sea is constant,
Companionable.
For solace
On long wanderings
Around headland tracks
Pelicans glide by in threes as
Wrens dart in and out of thorny bushes.

Soon we fly down to the 
Beach with our dogs rushing ahead
To play 
Chasing, the seagulls swooping
Just out of reach.

On the verandah of the continent we
Stand as wind and waves chatter away 
Watching clouds bubble up
In endless fascination
Or eyeline the horizon that announces
The limits of our gaze.

Before dusk
We retreat into the shell
Of our protective coverings
As the sea surges forward 
Erasing our footprints and clutter
Her language soothingly encroaches
As in slumbers we murmur
The unspoken fear that daylight waves away.

Oh great is our love of the sea 
Pretending we do not hear evening’s roar.

	- Seiju