Shell Scavengers

I love being
The first one
On the beach,
Immediately after a storm,
After the surf
Has ceased its war
With the beach.
The best time
Is early morning
Before anyone else has risen.
I relish the freedom
To meander back and forth
Seeing no footprints
Other than my own,
Soaking up the solitude,
And breathing in
The fresh ocean air.
Most of all,
I enjoy scouring
The wave cut benches
Searching for Conch shells
And other treasures
Exposed by the storm,
Before they are plundered
By marauding shell scavengers
Trying to beat me to the find.