BLISS

there's a whole lotta hurt
before ya get to the bliss...
by the time we roll on down to the beach
the sun is low in its sulky sky
but a wide open page of sand
stretches far away in either direction
toward its hazy headland bookends
the sea invigorates
cold at first
then oh so cool and refreshing
its salty taste dredges up memories from the deep
cheeky seagulls interrupt the reverie
flying low with an eye out for morsels
as for me
i splash around like an idiot
then do a chariots of fire sprint up and down the shore
dodging the occasional stranded jellyfish
sweet hannah e trots up to meet me in her pink swimsuit
we jump the waves together
until h gets cold feet
and retires to draw sand pictures
and then dance contendedly around them
like only a four-year-old can
an orange disc sinks slowly to the horizon
meanwhile up on the promenade it's a vegan-free zone
the row of seafood joints adhere zealously to their name
but all's well that ends well
i manage to beg, borrow and steal
a dish of mollusc-free noodles for my bidet dinner
a twilit purple sky bleeds into the sullen sea
oh this is a birthday to remember
not all is peace n tranquility of course
this being sk
always a difficult place
to be alone with one's thoughts
a few macho characters frequent the prom
the soju is flowing easily
lubricating the arm-wrestling challenges
and boosting the bravado
at the rifle-range amusement booths
a fire-cracker frenzy along the prom
heralds an imminent return to our 'pension'
nestled among bamboo and pine trees behind the beach