Admittedly, this isn't the beach I was on this week. I had to use a little clickbait so perhaps you would want to look at the post. I feared that nothing I had would lure you in. We have to use all the encouragement we have nowadays. This post is dedicated to #BeachWednesdy by @Uwelang. I dare you to give me a little bit of beach today! While we are at it, we are going to do our #WedensdayWalk with @Tattoodjay. You can check out his post here. It is a great day to go to the beach!! Who's in? All you have to do is raise your hand!

I wanted to take you back to Newport, Rhode Island again. One of my favorite little haunts in life. The atmosphere is laid back, in the most yuppy of ways, parting only to admit the advent of the tourist industry. It hasn't changed much since I first came as a little kid, I can recognize most of the buildings in town, only the outskirts seem a little updated. That is so New England. But, I love it. It pains me to see so many places in the USA tearing down the old to make room for the new.

Walking through town, there are bistros and cafes, all the things that make it genteel and most welcoming. I inhale the bouquet as I wander about, a mix of salt life and freshly brewed coffee. How can we spell perfection?

What is not to love? The wave of salt air hits me and pulls me forward to another day of stay. I am addicted to the way of life here and will eventually make it my own once again.

I walk along, wondering to myself about that man that lives, sans his ex-wife in the house on the rock. I can only imagine how much fun that would be, watching the water traffic go by. .

they set my aunts house on fire
i cried the way women on tv do
folding at the middle
like a five pound note.
i called the boy who use to love me
tried to ‘okay’ my voice
i said hello
he said warsan, what’s wrong, what’s happened?

i’ve been praying,
and these are what my prayers look like;
dear god
i come from two countries
one is thirsty
the other is on fire
both need water.

later that night
i held an atlas in my lap
ran my fingers across the whole world
and whispered,
"where does it hurt?"
it answered,

"everywhere"
"everywhere"
"everywhere"

warsan shire