Somewhere by the sea
a father twists his hands in agony
as lifeguards embrace
the floating child too late.
And a slender mermaid
dissolves into foam and wrack,
not having attained
that redeeming love –
lips becoming
crystals of salt. Invisible.
Thousands find sea glass
near the food trucks,
and candy floss, but never
any attentive love.
And, so, I tell you, redirect your focus,
and turn up at my side on time.
Like the tear-stained moon with the tide.
Linda Ann Strang is the author of Star Reverse (2022) and the editor of Hotazel Review. Her poems have been published internationally.