and it came to pass in those days
that i was on the deserted beach again
chain smoking
wine swilling
worshipping with the devil’s salad

and i was bored, bored
even as i was glad for the luxury of boredom
for there was nothing new under the sun

still the geese honking
still the sullen highway roar
still the tinkling of the brook
still the crashing of waves upon the shore

“why is it?” i wondered
that surely i craved something more
perhaps this craving was the reason
no answer was in store

as i glided
along the sandy beach
curiously light over the slippery rocks
dancing, bounding
hovering through the wave splashed air
i noticed a backpack
abandoned in the long grasses
i passed it by
but for hours afterward
curiosity nibbled at my mind
until i reluctantly hiked back
to take a closer look
at something new under the sun