This came to me fast, early yesterday afternoon. I heard the phrase “All of the above” on the radio, and it struck me: how well this describes the view of the sky when lying on one’s back.
Written while sitting in the hot sun, under such a sky. You will see from the draft that I originally imagined two sisters; but when I remembered this picture of mine from a few years ago…
ALL OF THE ABOVE
23rd May 2021
All of the above is what they can see
As they hot sun sprawl salty wet, shivery glee.
Their mother had said, ‘Ten minutes should be enough!’;
But these sisters have sea-love, and that makes you tough.
On and on in the waves they had swum, plunged, and played:
With water so clear, quite mad not to have stayed!
Until under-the-bridge youngest had bobbed up to ask,
‘Did Mum say she’d hot chocolate in the red flask?’
All of the above: that huge dome of bright blue –
Just some babyhair cirrus, small-puff cumulus too;
Not a sign of an aircraft: no white lines, no jet growls
To annoy three bronze sea nymphs on their Old Friend beach towels.
Such a sky of perfection, only heard happy sighs
Of pussycat stretching, bodies coconutised
By sister-spread lotion; but soon the love of the ocean
Will see them sprint hand in hand, once more to dive.
© Christopher Jessop 2021
