Nice Day For A Tidal Wave

last wave coming ashore is like
a visitor to the bar
children voices at the beach
are gulls laughing
a black bikini top is joke that falls flat
cargo shorts
make her butt bubble
children sit on wet sand, feet out
when the wave arrives
squeal with cool thigh rush
bottles of wine or bottles of beer
summer tastes like it needs salt
a man in pink is that joke no one remembers
wearing board shorts and oversized shirt
ready for recess
at the grill someone worries
sausage, hamburger, ears of corn
potato chip bag melting
bachelor eyes the teenage knot of girls
thinking sunglasses
thinking the girls don’t know
exactly how to flash untanned
snap a disdain stare
lifeguard high chair
has sexy Mrs. Goodhue
asleep in the shade
top undone so the sun
runs happy light fingers
bumpy bump spine
left, still off stage, a whisper
band of cirrus clouds
stalks the midday sun
leading an army of cool
but never enough for rain
traffic walks slowly
past parking lots full
rental surfboards
an unfortunate trucker
chewing on overtime
while even the Dodgers,
once up three runs in the seventh,
can’t keep this up forever.

Travis Stephens is a tugboat captain who resides with his family in California. A University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire alumni, his book of poetry, skeeter bit & still drunk will be published by Finishing Line Press in 2022. Visit him at: zolothstephenswriters.com