january—ward’s island beach

yes, this places still exists in winter,
although reduced ferry service and
a wind that rattles the bones
of the skeletal trees lining the beach
certainly make it less accessible.

and the sand is coarse and hard—
the weight of too many ghosts
has compressed it and the ice has cooled
summer’s too-hot-to-stand-in dreams.

but the pole we took turns throwing
stones at still stretches from the sand
and the spot we drifted to about twenty metres out
still glistens from the sun
and the memory of that moment . . . 

Published in TOK: Writing the New Toronto, Book 2. Purchase the book to read the full piece.