Shaped though many hours
by the touch of sea and sand
this wonderful breakwater
now moulded by their hand
encapsulates the aura
that this seascape holds for me
from a life spent here in Sussex
on the beach and near the sea
The longshore drift moves shingle
as the beaches change their shape
revealing all the treasures
that changing times will make
and particularly pleasing
for an inspiration here
is the old Victorian breakwater
to bring me joy and cheer
Progress and safety and
longshore drift
have taken their toll
with budget and thrift
So, rare the breakwater
today you will find
Most hidden away
to low water confined
Cast in yellow pools of light
night shadows on the beach
Wooden breakwaters stand tall
robust against the Reach
Mysterious, the water calls
quietly from the shore
as lapping waves just out of sight
return again once more
By listening very carefully
I could hear it on the air
My call across the many years
to me still walking there
The beach where many summer spent
as a boy with dirty knees
To which half a century later
I returned on Autumn breeze
On the beach near the water
Breakwater’s lee
Watching the waves
of a soft lapping sea
The sun’s playing hide n seek
behind the grey
But it’s muggy and warm
so I’m happy to play
With a calming serenity, the lapping sea
silently approaches the shore
and with the faintest of whispers, turns on itself
before slipping back for more
Casting long shadows in the late October sun
Breakwaters deep in the sand
Wood smooth and moulded, seasoned by salt
And carved by the sea’s mighty hand
