This poem was highly commended in the Tamariki category of The Warren Trust Awards for Architectural Writing 2023.
The sun sinks lower in the sky,
casting an orange haze over the waves.
The golden sand houses a family of turtles,
resting after a long day exploring the sea.
Waves create glimmering arches before
sliding up the sand in a flood of white.
Birds dance across the amber sky,
slicing through the hot, humid air.
The soft breeze plays with the leaves
of the trees bordering the beach.
Dark tendrils of silky seaweed swirl
beneath the crashing teal waves,
weaving blankets of emerald green.
A pale grey dolphin surfs through waves,
drawing patterns of white through the ocean water.
A handful of glittering stars splash across the sky,
spreading until the sky is a mess of constellations.
The beach rests under the blanket of deep navy,
a perfect design waiting patiently for the sun to emerge.
Photo: Emilio Garcia from Unsplash.