Tuesdays we walk Manchineel beach

most call is Hay Penny

the vernacular for Half Penny

but these tempting looking apples

that line the beach are poisonous

I alternate between walking and jogging

jumping over waves racing beyond the shore line

At the end of the beach where rocks

form a barrier I perch on a pillar

allowing my mind to wander as is often

my eyes search the landscape

taking in the ridges of the hills

the greens and blues and straw colored too

Brian meets we half way

after treading in the bush

he has husked 2 coconuts

the water sweet but little

I spoon out the firm meat and chew slowly

my breakfast

On our return walk

we pick up plastic bottles

cans     paper    trash     others

careless leave behind

unmindful that paradise needs help

to maintain her beauty

I stop to photograph the nesting bed

of a leatherback sea turtle

now is there hatching season

a gentle wind fans my face

the sun polishes my back

arriving at our favorite spot

I diving into the temperate ocean

grass snags my feet

waves tickle my nostrils

my gratitude is boundless