Surrender Pattern

A young boy of maybe six years cries then laughs then throws a stick my way.

He grabs it near my chair then throws it at his mom.

A woman in a red bandana on her head and a matching patterned bathing suit.

Sea birds fishing for sardines or anchovies.

Bandana woman poses herself for Instagram photos. Vanity and pursing lips.

Boaters charge home through the channel.

All sights of the cup that spills over.

Chocolate on the beach like Meursault and Marie.

Woman with yellow Labrador, chuck-it stick and skulls on her yoga pants.

Golden hour light for the giant photo studio and those with their phones.

Bending palms on the Wedge side of the channel.

A squad of pelicans.

The bandana woman who’s kind of a showboat waves hello to the birthday cruising boat named “showboat” while she dips into the shallow harbor waters.

A large white crane bird next to a very large white crane piece of equipment takes a rock behind a Buddha statue in someone’s front yard.

Bandana woman pours a glass of wine from her cooler. Nice glassware. Nice ass wear.

Now photos of the wine glass on the beach for her friends.

Seagulls on another crane to my right frame the scene.

A kid with dreadlocks and a concert t-shirt.

A cormorant skips its feet across the sea surface while flying.

Pleasing the self with drugs – chocolate and wine. Coffee and morels.

The bandana woman living the good life. The softness of sand on the bottoms of my feet.

A little fuzzy puppy tries to steal fruit from the bandana woman.

And the sea birds continue plunging after anchovies or sardines.

The rocks turn green in the golden light.

The crane continues its watch.

How to watch an hour go by.

Harbor queen tour boat does a giant U-turn as Pablo the boy shovels sand into the wind right into bandana woman and her just arrived friend. Muchacho malo.

Pull away, and what’s the pattern?

Boats come and go.

Planes come and go. Tides go in and out.

Birds come and go.

Dogs chase balls.

People demonstrate vanity.

Sand touches the feet.

Earth finds the person.

People arrive and depart.

The sun circles the sky.

The edge of the Earth twists to the horizon.

Sailboats drift with tide and wind.

People fear a dog bite.

Children question the rules of the game.

Cool winds blow off of waters they cooled.

And I return to what I think is mine . . .

My dog, my house, my children.

But it’s all just parts to a larger puzzle.

What’s the puzzle?

Coming and going?

Ebbing and flowing?

Excitement and boredom?

Known and unknown.

Story and chaos.

Narrative and randomness.

Truth and untruth.