Hurricane Zeta (3rd of the Beach Trilogy)

Hello darkness, my old friend, I’ve come to see you again

These lyrics are metaphorical, I’m sure

But my muse was telling me to go.

Literally go, into the darkness of the pre-dawn

“The night winds will whisper in your ear

They will guide you to hear what they want you to hear

To see what I want you to see

Go now! “

I walked to the beach to see what there was to be seen

On the way, among the broken trees on the street

An eerier light fluttering in a house until I realized

A person with flashlight going up stairs

A large tree trunk lay across over the soft sands

I suppose it no longer felt the need to be upright

Or maybe its usefulness was finished

And Zeta decided that this was a good resting place

Channel lights flash,

Green, red, green, red,

Guiding no one to the jetty,

The only light standing against the darkness.

Soon enough there was a splash of sun

Many dark clouds were scurrying to the North

Chasing the storm at a rapid pace but a half day behind

Laggards!

The beach was sprinkled with confetti

But the confetti was debris, not colorful paper

Only dark shades of greens, grays, yellows and tans

Given up from deep beneath the sea

The Least Terns were pecking again at the sands

Where did they take comfort that long night?

I only wish I knew

Maybe one day I will

Soon the cleaning crews will remove the confetti

The tree trunk will go to its final resting place

The pier lights will shine once again

And people will walk the beach

But, for now, all is mine

Nature in its raw and powerful self

For me to remember and to write

Nature blemished only by my footprints