At Sunset
They listened for the last sounds to fade;
of little ones, plucked from the sand,
carried off kicking and screaming
as they waved new friends goodbye.
They saw the trail of sea shells,
dropped by chubby fingers
and crabs scurrying back under rocks,
grateful for a narrow escape.
At last the beach was theirs
and they giggled and pranced
as capricious summer breezes
whisked the surface of the water
and tickled their feet.
Then the sands began to whisper,
gulls quietening their cries to listen
and a crab crawled out of a seashell
to sniff the salt air.
My children stood motionless,
eyes wide and holding their breaths
and the ocean sighed
as the sun settled down for the night.
© Christine Magee
