Inland, it’s so humid, the air feels like
an enclosed bathroom after a steamy shower
with no fan on.
A lizard dashes into the underbrush,
like an errant ball escaping its mini golf course.
At the beach, crabs and toddlers
scuttle from tide pool to tide pool
after the next shiny thing.
The stingray and kids on their skimboards
chase the sliver of ripples
between surface and sand.
The sandpipers and I walk in the surf,
swaying back and forth to avoid
getting wet above our knees.
Pelicans and windsurfers
ride the strong sea breeze
parallel to shore.
All us creatures live for the coast,
with its wide-open skies and salt and sound.
About The Author
Catherine Puma (she/they) lives in Alexandria, VA with her husband and rescue dogs. She is a contractor with Integrated Systems Solutions, Inc. (ISS) who supports the National Oceanographic Partnership Program (NOPP) office as Deputy Program Manager. After hours, she is a member of the Poetry Society of Virginia and Women’s Aquatic Network with work published in Ionosphere, The Blotter, and Lit Shark Magazine. Her author website is www.catherinepumawrites.com.