Bébé took me all the way to the ocean without protest
top down unless it was raining
really downpouring like that night in Hearst we went for a walk for darts
then crawled into the backseat to sleep and
woke up stuck to the leather.
It's nightfall when we reach the seawall
yearning to witness the Pacific sprawling
off toward unknown horizons
but I can smell the sea brine and hear the tide
rising and slapping insidiously against stone.
In the predawn gloaming
a woman fishes from the seawall,
casting&reeling,
casting &reeling.
A newcomer draws up a fish, first try
she glowers and settles deep into her canvas chair
disgruntled.
A solitary seal barks amusement then swims
quickly, quickly out if the way of a cruise ship
that in the dawn of the waking city looks confusingly
as if a skyscraper has become unmoored and is drifting through the harbour.