CHEERIOS ON THE BEACH

A morning walk for two along the edge of the sea

Talking and taking pictures

Scanning the pleasing vista

A casual glance down, and suddenly the usual is amazingly unusual

One single cheerio on the sand near the advancing waves

My first thought

How had it remained so perfect?

My second thought

What happened to the toddler?

Jaws theme: “DUH! duh duh duh, DUH! duh duh duh

A grin at my own joke

Continuing on, then after a bit

A turn to retrace steps

See an interesting piece of driftwood

A satisfying something to bring home

Then, a surprising spread of Cheerios

All perfect as if recently spilled

But no other sign of cereal activity, no big yellow box

A few more steps and I spy

A single line of Cheerios leading away

My third thought

I hope these weren’t left

By some ill-advised Hansel, lost on an open beach

Trying to find his way home with Gretel

Here comes the tide

They’ll never be found

My fourth thought

These must be alien Cheerios

Lying undisturbed at the edge of the deep

To appear again and again

In conjunction with some serial orbit

Of an unknown planet through the Milky Way

And they will be here tomorrow

Still perfectly revealed at the turning of the morning tide