Monday, September 25, 2006

Mudflats

White sandy beaches
are just that,
white, sandy, and
burning hot to any daring feet
in the middle of the day.
Look and admire,
do not touch,
meant only for postcards, and
swimsuit models to be powdered with.
Mudflats are where life is.
Charcoal-gray skin,
with uncountable slimy sores,
sucking and oozing briny pus.
Sulfur swings from nose hair to nose hair
dropping down the throat,
slamming with a sickening thud
in the pit of queasy stomachs.
It clings to feet and hands
like week-old, chocolate pudding,
but not so sweet to lick off.
Mudflats are where life is,
the tide breeds what it will.

15 comments:

Osquer said...

Gross and wonderous at the same time - that's life for you!

MB said...

Eeeew. Interesting little ecosystem, innit? I love that last line.

Sue hardy-Dawson said...

Have you been walking in my shoes of late-delightfully visual a veritable feast of immages

Joyce said...

Nice clashing images!

polona said...

great write as always, pat - love the last line!
i think i prefer life to the sterility of human-infested white sand :)

Margie said...

Great poem!
Such wonderful images!
I love the last line too!

Masago said...

Yikes! Another one for your up-coming book (for the Gross chapter).
I like how you subtly imply that models aren't "life". :-)

C... said...

I have never heard of mud flats.

The Site Administrator said...

bugger that pat! give me the white sandy beaches over the mudflats any day ...

ps: just got back from the white sandy beach at the end of the street ... the smell of salt air ... cool spring breeze ... heheheheh. ;-)

Russell Ragsdale said...

The sulfur swigs were definately experiential! Good write!

floots said...

spot on pat
another goodie
whatever you've been eating - please send me some :)

Amalendu said...

lovely write Pat....

Natalia L. Rudychev said...

I really enjoyed the juxstaposition in this wonderful poem. It is in the overlooked the real life and beauty hides.

Pat Paulk said...

Osquer, it really is!!

MB, what's a little eeeew among friends?? Thank you!!

Sue, I thought they were felling a bit tight. Thank you!!

Thank you Joyce!!

Thanks Jon!!

Polona, I definitely do!! Thank you!!

Thank you Margie!!

Vaughn, I certainly don't want to offend any models. If you know of any I have, send them over so I can un-offend. Thank you Vaughn!!

C, no mudflats??? Drive 5 hours to the coast and wonder around at low tide,follow a fiddler crab home and you'll be there.

Karasu, and I thought you went for the deeper slice of life??

I grew up with them, along with the paper mill adding it two cents worth of smelly fumes. Get used to it. Thank you Russell!!

Floots, I'll trade for a peek at miss stannard's panties...

Amalendu, thank you!!

Natalia, it really does. Thank you!!

Tongue in Cheek Antiques said...

I prefer to squish my toes in the mud, rather thatn tiptoe across hot sand.