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
Opal Palmer Adisa 