driftwood parents sit in sand,

abandoned by tide and time.

Children cartwheel like gulls

pecking at sand in tide pools,

squawking claims over curious crustaceans.

A dip into unforgiving August Atlantic

sucks concrete heatwave sweat

from sunburned skin performing

elegant estuary cannonball splashes

off rotting railway trestles.

Tired, twist frozen feet into sandbars—

search for quahog supper.

A quick calculation—one could

walk forever into the briny horizon,

entranced on low-tide toes—

wind-whipped mouth a mindful smile.

Jordan Trethewey is a writer and editor living in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada. He is also a husband, father (to two kids, a black cat, and a Sheltie) and beer-league softball player. Some of his poetry, fiction and non-fiction inhabits on-line publications such as Visual Verse, Fishbowl Press, The Blue Nib, Terror House Magazine, Califragile, and Spillwords. Jordan is an editor at redfez.net, and openartsforum.com. His latest book, Spirits for Sale, is available on Amazon. His poetry has also been translated in Vietnamese and Farsi. To see more of his work go to: https://jordantretheweywriter.wordpress.com.