From July 2-4:
The beach on the Fourth
Red, white, and blue, and that’s just
Tourists’ skin and lips
Bodies every shape
Umbrellas every color
Waves — just green, white, gray
Dreadlocks past her waist,
Wide body, richly tattooed
A living mural
Romping on wet sand
Playing tag, catching some rays
And that’s just the dogs
Two women, two dogs
Whippet, chihuahua, that’s the
Long and short of it
Diversity dogs
Golden-yellow by design
Big cross-bred beauties
Chihuahua trio
A dozen tap-dancing paws
Strain sequined leashes
Neat slashes in sand
Gangs mark their territory
The gulls and the terns
Beach boy loves the birds
But wishes they all could be
California gulls
Heads bob, dots in foam
Chocolate M&M’s in waves
Of ocean frosting
Solitary sail
An antenna attuned to
Wavelengths of the sea
Idyllic beach scene
Like movie but God doesn’t
Turn off wave machine
Lifeguard Station 5
Abandoned alien craft
From ’50s planet
Tiny house, west wall
Nothing but windows, gazing,
Catching every wave