Beach
by Dianne Bates

A grain of sand on its own,

A tiny world

in the palm of your hand.

But still, nothing much…

Add millions of other grains,

Shape them with sea-water

And you’ve got a sand-castle.

Next add trillions and trillions of grains                                                                                                                        Getting there…

And zillions and zillions more —

Now you’re talking!

• Submitted in response to Poetry Prompt #8

Dianne says: I brainstormed for a long time listing all the close encounters a child
might have — animals, insects, aliens and so on. Finished up on a beach
with a child looking at starfish. It was only when I thought of sand,
zillions of grains in close encounter with one another, that I thought of
what happens as a result. Hence this beach poem!