Poem: Last Days at Henley Beach South
In this week’s Poet’s Corner, Martin Christmas takes a reflective look at Adelaide’s shoreline.
Last Days at Henley Beach South
The fading glory of a red rose sky
etches lines on the bridge as
car lights start a more tawdry
illumination of the
near-night day.
The curved outlet swans towards
a crashing low slung wave
as soft sand after the storm
crunches apologetically
underfoot.
Warm water drifts endlessly,
endless rhythm,
a slow beating of the breast.
Deep twilight yawns
majestically overhead.
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Street lights at Glenelg ‒
a theatre of atmospheric memories;
runs on hot sand;
hopes held high;
a nearness to God.
Suddenly, a mixed bag of
emotions, unlooses its straining cords.
I turn to face a final glow
tight on the horizon now.
Constant wave ‒ adieu.
Darkness, but lightly;
a single seagull flies
urgently home (wherever that might be).
I walk back to the road,
cupped now in silence.
Martin Christmas has a Master of Arts in Australian Cultural Studies, and a Diploma of Performing Arts. He is a performance poet, photographer and theatre director, and has had his poetry published in Australian print and online poetry anthologies. He teaches presentation elements to young spoken word poets and runs community poetry workshops for established poets. His first poetry collection, “Immediate Reflections”, was published at the end of last year in the Ginninderra Picaro Poets chapbooks series, details of which can be found here.