The Beach

The beach arrived outside my bedroom window during the night, followed by the neighbours' wheelie bin as the height of the storm coincided with high tide around 7.00am. The water was the highest I've ever seen it, just below the lower edge of the windowsill, raised beds inundated.

The wheelie bin bothered me most as I feared it would be driven up against the window smashing it. Thankfully this did not happen. A blessing, as there was no way to reach it till the tide and wind abated. The rest of the garden is scoured clean, everything movable swept out to sea. This upturned pot, the largest one, is the only thing that remains.

I practised gliding as best I could. I'm feeling like there will be many more opportunities to practice. This is the third huge storm we've had in as many weeks, each one more fierce than the last.

I've almost always lived close to the sea's wildness and loved it. My ease with it is beginning to feel a little like hubris.