Nan stood beside you
on the beach; you could smell
the sea and hear its roar
on the shore.
Grandad stood
on your other side:
that shipwreck out there,
can you see it?
You peered out to sea:
can see something,
you said.
That's the S.S
Richard Montgomery,
Grandad said,
sank in 1944
during the war.
And it's still there?
you said.
Got explosives aboard
too dangerous to move,
Grandad said.
You stared hard,
wishing your young eyes
could bring the shipwreck
closer.
Do you want an ice cream?
Nan said.
That'd be good,
yes please, Nan,
you replied,
your eyes leaving the wreck
to gaze at your nan.
How did it sink?
you asked,
was it sunk
by Germans?
No,
Grandad said,
it ran aground
and broke up,
I believe.
You walked back
up the shore
with Grandad
at your side.
Your nan had gone ahead
to buy ice creams
for you all
at some ice cream stall.
Mar 8, 2018
Mar 8, 2018 at 4:41 AM UTC
Nan stood beside you
on the beach; you could smell
the sea and hear its roar
on the shore.
Grandad stood
on your other side:
that shipwreck out there,
can you see it?
You peered out to sea:
can see something,
you said.
That's the S.S
Richard Montgomery,
Grandad said,
sank in 1944
during the war.
And it's still there?
you said.
Got explosives aboard
too dangerous to move,
Grandad said.
You stared hard,
wishing your young eyes
could bring the shipwreck
closer.
Do you want an ice cream?
Nan said.
That'd be good,
yes please, Nan,
you replied,
your eyes leaving the wreck
to gaze at your nan.
How did it sink?
you asked,
was it sunk
by Germans?
No,
Grandad said,
it ran aground
and broke up,
I believe.
You walked back
up the shore
with Grandad
at your side.
Your nan had gone ahead
to buy ice creams
for you all
at some ice cream stall.
