With a whoosh, a towel floats down.
Possessions are dropped, awaiting my return.
Feet pad across warm, silken sand.
Toes curl around golden grains.
Sun comforts with its soft morning glow.
A sip of morning, salty sea air.
That first icy kiss tingles.
Breath departs momentarily.
With each wade, body harmonises with the water.
Head tips back, and I float.
Eyes rest closed for a spell.
Mind wanders, lost in reverie;
what if I just went under and stayed under... forever?
Feet drift down to the seabed.
Legs traipse back through the ocean’s pulse.
Breeze lightly nips at wet skin.
Towel wraps around my damp curves.
Bag slung back over my shoulder,
my stride carries me to the car.
About the Creator
Sandy Gillman
I’m a mum to a toddler, just trying to get through the day. I like to write about the ups and downs of parenting. I’m not afraid to tell it like it is. I hope you’ll find something here to laugh, relate to, and maybe even learn from.
Reader insights
Nice work
Very well written. Keep up the good work!
Top insights
Compelling and original writing
Creative use of language & vocab
Easy to read and follow
Well-structured & engaging content
Heartfelt and relatable
The story invoked strong personal emotions
Masterful proofreading
Zero grammar & spelling mistakes
On-point and relevant
Writing reflected the title & theme
Keep reading
More stories from Sandy Gillman and writers in Poets and other communities.
Three Seconds
I saw your face three seconds on the screen and thought you must have made a mistake. People like that don’t look for me. But I clicked yes. Out of curiosity. And out of some silent hope I had carried within me for years. We talked for a long time. As if we already knew each other. As if distance has no real measure when two people listen to one another. I didn’t see you, but I felt you. And that was enough while for others it was nothing.
By Magma Star3 days ago in Poets
Comments (28)
I live so close to the Pacific but never dipped in the water. I believe, it would be exciting.
I feel this one with all of my senses. Great job! Beautifully written. 💜
Absolutely gorgeous poem, you perfectly nailed the ocean experience. Wish I could pop across & have a dip! Have a few more swims for us all.🏖️🌊
Congratulations, Sandy, on topping the leaderboard❣ A lost in the sea experience sounds beautiful right now with all the snow, but at least I can imagine it. Beautiful work and most inspiring!😊
I love the last line, I want to think of walking anywhere like this from now on. My stride calls me to the grocery store, my stride took me to post office. Congrats on the leaderboard placement, too!
Beautiful Poem, Congratulations on making it to the top of the leaderboard!
Sandy -- Great Poem that makes the reader feel the environment. And congratulations on making the Vocal Leaderboard!
Wooohooooo congratulations on your Leaderboard placement! 🎉💖🎊🎉💖🎊
Back to say CONGRATS!!!!
Can't believe I missed this! Saw it on Leaderboard. Congratulations and thank you for taking me to a peaceful place...beautifully done :)
This is a really clever take Sandy. Loved it x
I like this approach to the competition. It’s subtle, but the line is still jarring.
Thank you for this. Its winter here where I am at , sea of snow.
Oh, this sounds so very nice! I also enjoy the subtle twist of the unnecessary line, it felt very real.
Well-wrought, Sandy! Do not, however, heed the siren's call! Davey Jones' locker is full of sweaty socks and the sharks, let me tell you, are terribly rude!
Hugs to you Sandy.
I found myself completely lost in this reverie, Sandy. Your use of Asyndeton let the sensory details just float by without any weight. But when you finally anchored the rhythm with 'Head tips back, and I float,' it catapulted me right back to the start. It gave my senses a sweet nativity before the jolt of that Anacoluthon. That line: 'What if I just went under and stayed under... Forever', is a cold, wide-eyed shock. The way the following lines relax back into a steady breath is truly unsettling. Best of luck in the challenge! 🤗🌼
Very Aussie 🤪😂😂. Is this for the unnecessary line contest? I felt like the “what if I just went under” line jumped out as stark and dark, in the best way.
The imagery in this so good, Sandy! Loved it!
man nice and peaceful-I want to go swimming now
This was peaceful to read, even the part about going under forever. My first obsession was mermaids and that's actually what that line made me think of. Beautiful work.
Oh how I love the idea of being able to relax like this. You really took me far away from the daily grind. Beautiful Sandy!
This was a really cozy poem :) It’s snowing again out here. I can’t wait for some beach time and a season change haha
Stunning writing Sandy! You made me want to go for a dip! lol
What a lovely poem, Sandy! I was transported there briefly, I could almost hear the sound of the waves in my head. :D Oh I missed that sound so much. "what if I just went under and stayed under... forever?" I think this is the most powerful line here.