Low Tide

Poem by Kate McGovern

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We walk this stretch of beach, the dog and I, daily.
I study the tides, the sand patterns, the seaweed
Opal favors the smells, the wake from watercraft-
Jet skies are her white whale.
 
I walk methodically, rhythmically,
meditatively
Opal zig zags from shore to sea, 
pouncing in the foamy, churning water.
 
Bubbles percolate as the tide recedes
Low tide reveals the soul of the sea-
Its secrets, its treasures
its sorrows.
 
Today, a California sea hare
wobbles at the border of sand and sea
No- I tell Opal, pushing her snout 
and curiosity away.
 
This slug, this being, this jewel
sways on the cusp of life and death
I pause, 
wondering if I should interfere.
 
Sea hare
See here
I will let you, and the tide,
decide. 

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Kate McGovern is a writer, teacher, and storyteller. In addition to writing poetry and flash fiction, she shares her narrative stories with the writing community and audiences in San Diego, CA.