Student Publishing Program ::

Emily Lowry

Chatham

Every morning the sun rises
Over the gentle waves.
The sky turns pink
As yoga mats are laid out.

The sand massages my feet as I run.

I grab my flip-flops
And climb up the half-buried stairs
To face a small crowd.
With binoculars held to their faces,
They scan the waters for sharks.

The locals joke that Jaws cursed the beach.

Walking home past the white house with the flag,
Past the sweet smelling bushes full of flowers,
Past the Cranberry Inn, always happily full,
To my little gray house on Homestead Lane.

I enter to the sight of my family around the table
Eating fresh muffins from the Chatham Café
Before our morning game of Michigan Rummy.

I run up the stairs to my little room
And throw on my suit.
The house fills with the smell of sunscreen
Before we head off to the beach.

Pushing through the spectators again
To find a shady patch of sand.
My brother and I bound for the water
Like children seeing the ocean for the first time.

The water is freezing,
But I wouldn’t want it any other way.
We build sand walls to see which stands longest
While other kids stare at us.

They don’t know how to have fun.

After too much sun, we pack up and go home.
The fight for hot showers begins.
The mirror is covered with steam,
But – eek – the water is cold.

I walk downtown
Window-shopping until I reach Jackie’s
My favorite store, but it’s so expensive
Like everything else in this town.

Disappointed I can’t afford anything,
I turn back home for dinner.
The air is chilly and I’ll need a sweatshirt tonight.

We eat out on the deck
Candles lit to keep away the bugs
The taste of potato salad
On a summer’s night.

Walking to the baseball game,
We stop at Buffy’s to get ice cream.
The sizes are enormous, but not too much for me.

Watching the game as the fog rolls in,
But still searching for foul balls
In hopes of catching one
To trade in for another ice cream.

The game ends and the A’s have won.

I sit in bed reading my book.
I turn out the lights
Falling asleep
Thinking
Thinking of tomorrow,
Another day in my home,
Chatham.

[TABLE OF CONTENTS, LHS CLASS OF 2013 EDITION]