Arrows In The Margin (Poetry)

Grainy in the evening light of memory
the sands deserted but for one
hunched stroller with his dog
and the odd gull left hanging
                        mewing its unanswerable complaint

The tide turned almost consciously right back
smoothed prim as a newly-laundered sheet
the sea’s voice shushing somewhere in the distance
and the breeze barely bothering to disturb
                        the lifeguard’s warning flag

He found her clothes — the lone dog-owning man —
her sensible shoes, her coat, an empty shopping bag — no sign
of hurry but of these things being deliberately piled neat
a one-way trail of footprints leading off —> —> —>
                        —> — > —> like arrows in the margin

From the balcony we watched them spread the search
along the water’s edge until it was too dark
to see which way she’d lately gone
and wary how the currents run
                        they had to call a halt

By morning every trace washed clean away
speculation bubbling all over town
the sea threw only pebbles on the shore
the breeze colluded in the mystery
                        as though no one living knows ... so no body can say