I’d say we drowned the voice of
The deep Atlantic in Katy Perry.Or banished mystery with
Mini golf and Skee ball.Or caught chaos in a box and
Turned it into taffy for children.But the truth is the ocean
Tamed herself: salt-sweet,Warm as milk, and lolling up to
Lick our hand like a friendly dog.
Thanks to Philadelphia Stories for publishing “Down the Shore” in 2014.
Peter Galen Massey 
Well done Peter. A great poem
Thank you! I admit … I was hoping to hear those words from an old WordPress friend.
Hi Peter,
There seems to be something not quite right with your blog, it’s posting as “no longer there”, I get on to the actual blog page, but there’s a blank space where your poems should be…. I think? Or am I missing the point that we followers are supposed to go out and buy a copy?
Nope, I’ll look and see what’s up. Magazine is free in any case. Thanks.
Super congratulations! And a wonderful poem to boot.
Thankee!
Congratulations. And it’s one of your happy poems. 🙂
Maybe there is lesson and a hint in that?
😉
Massey Grade: B-
Massey Comment: While I am delighted that Philadelphia Stories and other folks liked this poem, and I am always inclined to listen to voices that tell me one of my poems is better than I think it is, I can’t get over the nagging feeling that Down the Shore is an example of poetic flim flam. The language is quite good … but what exactly is my point? Clearly, I’m contrasting the sublime majesty of the ocean with the trivial tackiness of beach town (which I thoroughly enjoy, by the by). The last four lines nicely evoke a calm ocean on a summer day. But taken as a whole, the poem seems to making grand gestures toward an insight it promises to deliver, then doesn’t. I’m not a fan of poetry as pretty talking points, but if you ask me what something I’ve written is about … I really should have a better answer at hand than “I’m not sure.”