Poetry

"Allonby Grasses"

As I look out over Allonby Bay
The skies are different every day
The waves crash in, pounding on the land
The shifting sands dry in my hands
Roman fortlets, World War Two arrows...
Horses, and tractors ploughing the farrows
And I don’t care how much time passes
As I walk now through Allonby grasses.

I see a seagull, a kestrel, a crow
Way up above then far down below
Shelduck, dunlin, oystercatcher
Flying too fast for my lenses to capture
Running the tide to pick out a creature
Shooting the sky to a landmark or feature
And I don’t care how much time passes
As I lie down in Allonby grasses.

Poem and photography by Richard Thomas