solitude
on any beach
Seamill Bamburgh
white sands of Wester Ross
no-one but me and the sea
whispering at my feet
give me a soft sea wind
a choir of marram grass
solo cry of curlew
an odd dog-walker
is no disruption
I am happy to skim a smile
catch the ripples on their face
a brief hallo
highlights passing from company to
here and nowhere
found on the cusp of sea and sky
one crisp night at Seamill
I escaped a wedding
our two terriers an easy excuse
the need to walk the beach
a howling moon carved Arran black
cast shadows so sharp
I would have cut them free
let them be forever
tranquil in this other world
that sea of ink-dark oil
with seductive kisses
still holds me there
fragments of my time
like grains of sand
are locked away
on many shores
where I go
alone

GEORGE COLKITTO  was born, brought up and lives in Paisley, Scotland. An ex- Inspector of Taxes, Chartered Account, and Bookshop owner, he writes both poetry and prose. His latest collection, Shake the Kaleidoscope (Cinnamon Press), will be available in Autumn 2023.