March 24, 2014

Stroll by Rick Hartwell


Short walk on the beach
stray white tern feather
realizing that somewhere
flies an unbalanced bird
compensating the loss
a flight feather reborn.

Short walk on the beach
piece of broken glass
bright colored polished
by tumultuous breakers
sharp edges rounded
sand couching the gem.

Short walk on the beach
drying broken branches
pounded and polished
sun-bleached journeys
from distant coastlines
individualized stories.

Short walk on the beach
three treasures gathered
each with a story to tell
with enough imagination:
feather, glass, driftwood –
telling what lies out there.





Rick Hartwell is a retired middle school (remember the hormonally-challenged?) English teacher living in Moreno Valley, California. He believes in the succinct, that the small becomes large; and, like the Transcendentalists and William Blake, that the instant contains eternity. Given his “druthers,” if he’s not writing, Rick would rather be still tailing plywood in a mill in Oregon. He can be reached at rdhartwell@gmail.com.

3 comments:

  1. Marvelous microcollection, RH. My hat is off.

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    Replies
    1. I'm very appreciative of your kind comments. Thank you!

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  2. I especially enjoyed the unbalanced tern and the sandcouch.

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