" Island Tour"

Morris Island,SC

Island Tour

A pair of dolphins arch the water beside our boat
as cord grass gently waves and wax myrtle, yaupon,
and red cedar hail from afar.

Low tide invites us ashore; tour guide shares
civil war era ink jar, union button,
and pieces of old Indian pottery found inland a bit.
Gives my son a shark tooth.

Morris Island lighthouse stands proud and tall
yet dark, stranded off shore
as many an island's known to be fickle,
shifting and moving as they see fit.

We find a perfect sand dollar, but I'm awed
by skeletal remains of a diamond back terrapin
and seabirds partially covered as if gently put to rest,
yet imagine violence was involved -

of which these sands are not foreign,
for back in 1863 Fort Wagner proudly stood,
repulsed two union attacks.  I almost hear them,
imagine the soldier whose eagle embossed button I earlier held..

The wind lifts our sweaters, sun is setting,
realize it's time for wind and water
to rearrange this sandy surface once again,
wash her clean come high tide, depositing
or exposing new treasures for tomorrow's guests.

Motor back to marina where herring gulls
and egrets perch upon pillars eyeing fisherman
as they pull up dockside and we alight,
having enjoyed our trip through low country's waterways.

by Margaret Bednar's April 9m 2018

Diamond Back Terrapin skeleton

This is linked with "Imaginary Garden with Real Toads - The Tuesday Platform"

Morris Island (next to Folley Beach) is practically a stone's throw away from Fort Sumter (in Charleston Harbor) where the Civil War began.  Fort Wagner resided on Morris Island and the movie Glory is about a Civil War Battle that took place at the fort and Morris Island.

https://www.loc.gov/resource/gvhs01.vhs00055/  I think this link will show you a map of Charleston Harbor - Ft. Wagner on the left, Ft. Sumter dead center with Charleston at the top.  Fort Moultrie is (right) on the island we vacationed on - Sullivan's and Isle of Palm.

and also NaPoWriMo - National Poetry Month (30 Poems in 30 Days)