On Scarborough Beach
This beach experience has nothing to do with Yorkshire, except its name! And yes, it does get that hot.
On Scarborough Beach
flash dry fades
in the turn of the world,
a shield of furnace flame
as callous sears
your flickering city
where dance of sea-glint,
fixed near
and cannily coast-wise
primates gather, cower,
crouch in hunch together,
spring-loaded for instant balm
in ocean absolution;
an aqua shout,
a yell of sky light
powering
pounding
peering
shouting leering blazing overhead
like a Dantean Hell on the ceiling until,
with lowered eyes
and modest smiles
(denying her sinful ways)
she slides down the day
as church glass slips
on cooling silica,
with slipping fingers
in molten filigree:
we are
relieved, and breathing
the night feel:
put on Bach and fall to earth.
Chris Hubbard
Perth, 1994
Chris Hubbard
Tue 7th Mar 2017 11:45
Hi Frances,
The short answer is "no" - I cannot recall any images of a comparable experience (or even the possibility of one) in the UK when I wrote this poem way back in 1994. I spent many weekends at Scarborough Beach in my early, dissipated adult years, which evidently had their long-term effects on me.
Strangely enough, last year - in the early UK summer - I visited the seaside town of Newquay on the north Cornwall coast, which possessed all four of the qualities you list. I can add that it also has a strong surfing culture, with numbers of Australians in evidence, judging by the Aussie flags around the place. It certainly failed in the temperature department though!
As for beach culture in the Scarborough, UK, version, that is definitely a non-starter as far as I can tell.
Cheers,
Chris