Beach Huts
April means unlocking, sweeping off spiders
and sand; putting out to air the rug,
stripy beach towels and faded sun-loungers.
Checking the kettle, rinsing out the mugs,
closing the fridge for beer and lemonade.
Dusting down the body-boards, bucket, spade.
When they opened Springtide they found Alice,
still as a waxwork in a garden chair,
dry like blown sand, her dress nibbled by mice.
They’d never thought to search for her in there.
Police believed she’d gone to Birmingham
(judging from some grainy CCTV) –
back to where her own spring tide once ran.
Her rigid fist was locked around the key.
Marc Woodward
Marc Woodward is a musician and poet living in the rural English West Country.
He has been widely published. His collections includes A Fright of Jays (Maquette Press, 2015); and Hide Songs (Green Bottle Press, 2018). A further collection The Tin Lodes written collaboratively with poet Andy Brown is due from Indigo Dreams in 2020.
Marc tweets as @Marcomando
http://www.facebook.com/marcwoodwardartist
http://www.marcwoodwardpoetry.blogspot.com
Photo credit @thejoyoffilm at http://www.unsplash.com
The Beach Hut 
Reblogged this on The Wombwell Rainbow.
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