left on the sand

like highway cones

markers of who they are

and when they will return

 

towels and coolers

flip-flops and lawn chairs

mark the spot

stake their claim

to this small portion of the beach

their territory for now

their temporary home

away from home

 

the family is gone

yet their stuff remains

to hold the ground

to plant a flag

to signal coming back

 

no one will bother their stuff

all recognize its value to the family

here is the father's ice chest

the mother's umbrella

the children's plastic buckets

all left unguarded

left alone

until their eventual return

 

stuff that is safe for now

their proof of ownership to

this small section of beach

a little plot that signifies the family itself

their homestead on the strand

 

we all leave a piece of ourselves

upon this good earth

our footprints in the sand

 

a part of who we were

to be remembered fondly

like a holiday on the beach.