Sally Festing
White Finger
The tide comes in with dances, swirls,
kisses the shore with foaming fingers,
lays a lick of yellow curls in every sandwave.
Jake waves to his parents,
on the beach with picnic hamper
paddles in shallow water.
Once in a while, the tip of my middle finger
drains of blood,
pinched as a child's shut in a door;
as if it's lain too long in water
or vibration white finger damaged the nerves.
Will the hand need amputating?
Mother says you're very brave,
how big's the pain
moves her hands out, this big, more?
It's awful, there's the shock.
Doors look safe
when you're just playing but they're not.
Police with loudhailers slither
between striped windbreaks,
sand in polished shoes.
Locals say the water comes in silent
closes behind you.
kisses the shore with foaming fingers,
lays a lick of yellow curls in every sandwave.
Jake waves to his parents,
on the beach with picnic hamper
paddles in shallow water.
Once in a while, the tip of my middle finger
drains of blood,
pinched as a child's shut in a door;
as if it's lain too long in water
or vibration white finger damaged the nerves.
Will the hand need amputating?
Mother says you're very brave,
how big's the pain
moves her hands out, this big, more?
It's awful, there's the shock.
Doors look safe
when you're just playing but they're not.
Police with loudhailers slither
between striped windbreaks,
sand in polished shoes.
Locals say the water comes in silent
closes behind you.
Page(s) 24
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