Just Too Long On The Beach

we hadn’t ventured far
apart from supermarket queues
trips to the doctors’ locked surgery
at the bottom of our street
for that was our lockdown

but with restrictions lifting
we bravadoed to the beach
the family
our pets (in a glass jar)
with an aspiration for chilling

under the summer sun
just off the autobahn
to the last square metre of free sand
face masks in back pockets
social distancing no chance

kept an eye out for enforcers
an eye for swooping gull
smelled the ozone develop
tide ripping at speed
yet no concern on our faces

we didn’t remain too long
just an hour or so at the front
the family
our pets (still in the jar)
until we were marooned on the sand

Just Too Long On The Beach

under the setting sun
we swam for our lives
to the safety of the promenade
with face masks floating surf
social distancing long gone