poem

Dear Adele,
Here is a poem about my new friend Stephanie. I did buy her a pair of cute flip flops and gave them to her today. She liked them.
Thinking of you today Adele.
Hugs,
Nicole

My Young Friend

She tells me the black spot in the distance is a shark’s fin

Oh yes we have sharks

And dolphins

And mermaids

She pulls my hand hard and we fall

under a wave

Salt tugs at my eyes, the back of my nose

Come up laughing, hair like seaweed

caught in our mouths

Still a child

Only a wink of womanhood

wants the fishermen to give her a prize

my friend needs a fish, she says

but they look at my white thighs

so we scuttle away

all legs and no shells

A wet teddy bear

Discarded

Blacked between bits of fur

Becomes our best friend

He swims with us, first on her back, then mine

Watches while we make castles

You know castles, like for princesses, she says

A wave pulls my tower down

We ride

Upturned tree roots

Like horses

Wear seashells

As fine jewels

Wriggle

With sea snails

Wish away our sorrows

Why don’t you go to school, I ask

The girls there were mean

Where are your shoes today

Those were my sisters, I have none

But the shark, I say, I see him now with a mermaid

No, she says

I think it’s just a rock

It was only ever a rock