9th October 2021
Irish Nor’Wester, whitecresting a bluegreen bay
Scatterpatched indigo by hasty clouds:
Spray salts views of stubborn red headlands.
‘Blowy going on the coastpath!’,
Warn a holiday couple;
‘I’m sure!’, I acknowledge with relish –
But at the trackmeet I’m for down,
Drawn to the landfall of sea forces.
Already heralded by massing globfly spindrift
And long heard loud, now seen:
Rollyboast breakers, jumpcrash frissforce surf.
Onshoring perpendicular, this well-Beauforted blow
Is safe for going in and looks sportsome,
Sharp in this after-rain sunlight.
Scant the swimming, though:
Here’s a day to stridejump and break-duck out
Then surge back in faster, more body-buoyant, even further
Than summer child on adult’s board.
Dressed again…
Not much man-made, my beachcomb finds;
But here’s a dangerous beauty:
Man O’ War just stranded, colours venom-vivid.
No hurry homeward,
Shelter of gorse where to just lie and look:
Brightening sky toning richer, brackenturn cliffs,
Writhing wake of island tide race.
Shorewards-drifting gulls almost caught out by surfbursts
Leap aloft, dazzleflap of near collisions.
Some soon sea-settle again;
Others depart for unknown elsewheres –
A few swoopbeats before their knack of air
Sees them a line of lift down a breaker’s gully:
Such risking skill to glide below the very edge of Fate,
Scoop out as one crest tears,
Victory roll into the next undercurl.
© Christopher Jessop 2021
