Sand Dunes by Rick Hartwell

Undulating carpets of quartz grains,

granulated shells and ice plant,

russet and verdant fingers laced together

coating windswept dunes,

visual evensong at a high water mark,

detritus providing camouflage,

cover and feast for opportunistic shore dwellers,

a temporary rest for the pale body

embalmed by crabs yet enshrouded

in an identifiable Aran sweater.

Rick Hartwell is a retired middle school teacher living in Moreno Valley, California, with his wife of thirty-five years (poor soul, her, not him), their disabled daughter, one of their sons and his ex-wife and their two children, and ten cats! Yes, ten. He has previously been employed as: apprentice carpenter; dairy ranch hand; plywood mill worker (twice); plastics manufacturing plant; newspaper delivery; armed security; facilities analyst; telecommunications analyst. supervisor (twice) and manager; business manager; US Army - infantryman, legal clerk (twice), legal clerk instructor, Warrant Officer and law office manager; and, high school teacher for the emotionally disturbed (twice).

image - Flickr Creative Commons - cheetah 100