The Shore

I remember the day mummy took us to the shore.
It was the day I met my first Syrian
We traded seashells
and bits of colored china and weathered glass
I did not speak Syrian
He did not speak the Queen's English
But we had great fun
And he pointed to his mummy and daddy
And said the only two words he knew
'Free now'
He smiled
The boats kept coming
Hundreds walked past us
Into the evening
As the sun set on Brighton Beach