by the sea

the burning sand
like glass is damp
and silver: grape
flesh; sticky fists
of pine; a tortoise
necked like sex
clips succulents

by the sea

the burning sand
like glass is damp
and silver

                              at night            dry eyes: a mouth
     of grape flesh;


green-veined moisture

                                           eucalyptus             juniper

                               sticky fists of pine

      rabbits and hoopoes

                               move across
                                                       the lawn; at dawn


             a tortoise
necked like sex
clips succulents

by the sea

      silver

                                                       eyes: a mouth
      grape flesh;


green-veined moisture

                                           eucalyptus



                         hoopoe






                       ex
clips

by the sea

            ver

                                                 yes
                     esh;






                               calyp









lip

__

The line "dry eyes: a mouth of grape flesh" came first after a poor night's sleep in a dry room brought back childhood memories of summer at the beach. Starting from that I wrote what is now section two then messed around with it, first condensing it into a block of text and then erasing it by stages like a wave receding and sinking into sand.