Every day is a beach day

Warm sunny day

Head to the beach

Barefoot on the sand

Find a nice spot

Put down a towel

Umbrella for shade

Lay down and relax

Stroll on the beach

Dip your feet in the water

Feel the sand between your toes

Stiff breeze off the ocean

Sand starts to get everywhere

Open a sandwich for lunch

Crunch crunch sandy sandwich

Wipe the sand from your eyes

Sip a cold drink

Sip crunch sip crunch crunch

The wind speed picks up

Umbrella topples over

Sand pummels your skin

Time to head home

Drag stuff back to the car

Shake off the sand before entering

Car gets full of sand anyway 

Arrive home tired and roasted

Step into the shower

Sand sticks to your skin

Refuses to wash away

Scrub soap scrub soap scrub pain pain

Dry off with a fresh towel

Feel the burn from residual sand

Sand in the shower pan

Sand on the bathroom floor

The whole house has sand trails

Vacuuming does not work

Sweeping is ineffective

Give up and go to bed

Wake up with piles of sand in the sheets

No point going to the beach today

You brought the beach home yesterday

Starfish

Walking the beach after a storm

Lots of shells washed up

I started collecting them

I found a starfish

He looked so cute

I picked him up

To add to my collection

But he felt too heavy

I turned him over

He was still alive

Should I throw him back

Risk damaging him

Or gently return him

I decided not to hurl him

Wading deep into the surf

Pausing when the water was waist deep

Gently placing him on the sea floor

Stepping back gingerly

So as not to step on him

Standing on the beach

Watching the waves crash in

Trying to imagine the starfish now

Back in his natural habitat

I closed my eyes

Listening to the waves

Gently lapping the shore

They were whispering to me

Thank you thank you

I reflected on my actions

Did I do the right thing

My mind wandered

Can you grill and eat starfish

The waves got angry