December 15*

frenzied crush of surf
on the hysterical beach
high tide and rolling chopped swells
northwest down the length of the strait
floats out all the drift logs
roll and toss and thud and scrape
flip into the swift air
pummel into the sand

a chaos of debris, pulverizing
turmoil, rearranging
this small cosmos

          above it all
          calm and holding
                    like serene grey flowers
          gulls drift, nonchalant
          watching for morsels

*Copyright 2010 by Luther Allen. This poem appears in The View from Lummi Island.