Sandcastles

We labored long and hard beneath the scorching midday-sun

Constructing a sandcastle that would never be outdone,

With towers reaching to the sky and turrets just as grand

Made from grit and enterprise — a monument in sand.

Adorned with shells-a-plenty in a fine mosaic style,

Encircled by a moat, the castle stood atop its isle,

A sentinel to guard to against an unforgiving sea

As strong and well-constructed as a sandcastle could be.

Glorious! So glorious! Sublime and dignified.

We all stood back, admired our work with just a hint of pride

And passers-by would stop and stare and join the celebration

A self-indulgent feast replete with self-congratulation

So busy were we back-slapping, we didn’t see the tide

advancing quickly up the beach in inauspicious glide,

descend upon our castle and lay waste to its proud rank

The towers fell, the turrets caved, the isle beneath them sank

The shells were scattered up the beach by unrelenting waves

And lodged like tiny tombstones marking martyrs in their graves.

And all that stood to mark the joy of simple child’s play —

A pimple on the landscape that would heal in just a day.

We’d labored long and hard beneath the scorching midday-sun

Constructing a sandcastle we thought would never be outdone,

With towers reaching to the sky and turrets just as grand

Yet in the swell, alas, it fell — our monument in sand.