Summerland Coastline

From the bluff
Where I stand
Looking out toward
The Channel Islands,
Eight offshore oil rigs
Can be seen
Protruding from the sea.
The sky is deep blue
And cloudless.
The southwest wind
Blows steady,
Leaving whitecaps
In its wake.
The waves crash
Against the shore
As they have
Since the beginning of time,
Tirelessly eroding the land,
Leaving the cliff
On which I stand.
Between bluff and surf
Lies a narrow sandy beach
Stretching as far
As I can see,
But not a single person
Walks that beach,
And the footprints of all
Who have gone before
Have been obliterated
By the surf.
I stand alone, watching
And absorbing the beauty
Of the world below,
And allowing the tranquillity
Of that world
To soothe my soul.