Tidal Enigma

a tanka string

hour after hour
breakers rise and surge
ever forward
tumbling out of the blue
a brilliant white foam

invariably
on channel markers
and mooring posts
a seagull, a pelican
claim the latest news

swaying palms
confuse the blue horizon
I know to be straight
while clouds crowd out the hills –
what can I trust as truth?

on the island
cormorants hang out
their washing –
we send them best wishes
for a fast drying day

• Port Macquarie, NSW