LONG ISLAND BEACH DAY

Taste the sunny summer sea
On my tongue it tingles like the
Pringles that crumble down my front.
You punt the Nerf to your brother;
The game has begun.

I run to the water, sweat dripping,
Children sipping, licking remnants of ice cream.
I scream with the cold.
I’m told to take it.
I fake left and return to our sheet

Complete with thermos of Kool Aid.
The badge girl gets paid and we are safe for today.
I’m burning.
The sun starts turning down to the earth.
You grab the Nerf and head to the car.
We see it from afar and race.

The seats are lava, towels sticky like plasma.
The sun dips. We lick our salty fingers.
Breathe deep, it hurts.
You burp your can of Coke.
Mom says the joke could cost us
Our coming back tomorrow.

No sorrow. We know she can’t resist
The soft humid mist
Of the ocean.
We make the ssshing motion
And soon follow along
Asleep to the song lingering on the radio.

Copyright ©2007 by Cristina T. Lopez