HOLIDAY CASTLES - Inspired by a painting by Doris Brown

There is a stretch of sandy beach by an old castle wall,
Near the entrance to the river, it still stand strong and tall,
But when the tide turns and the waves come rushing in fast
You wonder how much longer those castle walls will last.

On that beach many fancy sand castles have been made,
The waves come pounding, what good is a bucket and spade
Castle against such a powerful foe as the strong, mighty sea?
The sturdy stone stands firm, what great strength we see.

But year by year the sea wears a little bit more away,
Tide by tide it eats at the stone, until one sad day
There’ll be no castle guarding the mouth of the river,
For the sea will win and it’s power should make us quiver.

Unrelenting is the tide, never resting is the mighty sea,
Anything man made will weaken and just one day be
Flotsam on some distance beach, smoothed by pounding,
With a will and strength of iron, and it’s echo sounding.

M Ann Margetson © June 18, 2001