Walking on packed sand
Alongside morning's tide
I spy some litter on the land
And, intending to throw it out,
Instead I find a bottle peeking out
Delivered over in night’s hand
I roll the bottle in my palms
Brushing off crusted shell and sand
To find a parchment crumpled
Confined within brown glass
A moment passes as I ponder this
Mysterious and romantic cache
A lovers letter? A cry for help?
Someone far away reaching out?
A treasure map, marked with X?
The answer to the riddle
The letter inside awaits
I yank the bottle top – surprisingly easy!
To find the sender was in err
For all the document now contains:
Smudged ink, brown and soggy edges
And slightly fishy smell
“Return to sender” clearly marked
By the evening tide
Woe betide the sender and receiver!
The oceanic postal service is not kind!
Let this be a caution! To all you would-be postal customers
Clearly mark your address, don’t forget the postage
And air-tightly cap the package before tossing
Into the tide.