A Day at the Beach

He is sitting in the sun baked sand,
The only warm place on the beach today.
The strong wind is blowing cold air inland from over the water,
The waves more like an ocean than a lake.
They draw up the sand and churn brown.

Before him rests a bubble gum pink basket,
Bunnies decorating the sides
Dancing in an endless parade,
A reminder that this pail once held: jelly beans, chocolate and green plastic grass,
A surprise on the dining room table on Easter morning.
Now it is filled with a mixture of sand and murky water

He is having trouble filling the bucket with more sand,
His movement limited to using his non-dominant left hand to work the green shovel.
His right arm is up in the air.
His hand clutching on to the string of his kite,
Still flying at full extension of the string.

He would rather do both things poorly than
Relinquish his turn at the kite's helm.
He must do it all.
He must get everything out of his
Day at the Beach.