We stood on Shipstal Hill ...

We stood on Shipstal Hill, above the beach of windblown sand - 

The tide was going out - seabirds gathered in reedy channels - our faces were chilled - a stag lowered its head, its antlers like dark knives -

We sat upon a bench dedicated to the memory of a beloved wife - 

I thought of the benches I'd seen on walks, all those small precious lives remembered by wood or iron - 

Each footstep summonsed a tender ghost, each breath a memory - 

12.00

Saturday 5 March 2015

Shipstal Hill

Arne

Purbeck

Dorset