Some would say these are trying times

So on a drizzly Sunday morning me and a friend went to the beach to unwind

Sure, it was a little like hurricane weather 

But walking for hours with a friend, on the beach, can make one feel better 

She pointed at a spongy looking sea creature that had washed up 

Said she didn’t know what it was 

I said, “Me neither”
I let my Golden retriever run loose 

To go in the water or on the dunes, I let him choose

He found every miscellaneous piece of fishing bait 

Me and my friend found it disgusting but Billy thought it was great 

I caught him licking a half-open can of sardines

And later chewing a chicken thigh 

Some bird droppings and all the other crustaceans in between 

I couldn’t always get to him in time to pry – his mouth from what he’d found 

There were just a few fisherman when we looked around

We also bumped into another Golden 

14-years-old, white, and my heart was again stolen

We saw some dolphins blowing water 

And me and that friend both ruminated over the things by which we’re bothered

There was an eerie shrine up on the dune

A wooden cross-like structure with baby dolls and American flags on it 

We looked at each other, trying not to feel despondent   

Then Billy ran up with a new tennis ball 

His face seemed to say, “Don’t be sad, ya’ll”

The sand was perfectly firm for a stroll 

We were out past dog curfew but the cops didn’t bother telling us not to lull 

It wasn’t till we got back to the car after our excursion

That I realized any passerbys’ nostrils must have been burnin’

Billy smelled like seaweed mixed with old sardines 

But me and my friend hadn’t noticed 

The sea urchin, the shrine, the old Golden were all such lovely tokens

I’m glad that on an overcast day the beach chose us 

We left unencumbered 

My single friend even got one of the police officer’s numbers

Among the salt and the sea, the weeds and sardines (and chicken thighs!)

We left the beach feeling rejuvenated, alive ~