It was the beginning of us,
that weather-buffeted cottage
by the North Sea, haunted by
saline spectres and seabirds.
Out-of-season virgin beaches were
ravaged by wind, foot and paw prints.
Seal-stalkers button-eyed us wearily
from the waves; they seemed to know
about teeth-chattering winters spent
watching the carpet rise and water
trickle down rain-blasted walls. Yet
it was cockle-warming:
the damp, smoky crackles in the hearth,
late-night tea and cheese on toast.
Broken by weather,
our home welded us together.
Kim M. Russell, 21st November 2024
For Open Link Night at the dVerse Poets Pub, hosted by Mish, I’m linking up a poem of place I wrote for Black Bough Poems’ poetic challenge on X, known as Top Tweet Tuesday.
writing in north norfolk 
I love the way you show the sea and those off-season beaches, I feel that we almost walked the same beaches in our poems.
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Thanks Björn! Beaches are amazing places.
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SO beautiful, Kim. The contrasts of temperature, the visuals, sounds….wrapped into this nostalgic piece. Also love your use of hyphenation, especially with “Seal-stalkers button-eyed us wearily from the waves”.
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I’m delighted you like it, Mish. Thank you!
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So wonderfully and lovingly imaged and I love this …
Yet
it was cockle-warming:
the damp, smoky crackles in the hearth
cockle-warming/smoky crackles – nice!
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Thank you very much, Stephen!
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“saline spectres and seabirds.
Out-of-season virgin beaches were
ravaged by wind, foot and paw prints.
Seal-stalkers button-eyed us wearily
from the waves; they seemed to know”
I just love all of this.🦭
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Thank you very much, Melissa.
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Aw. Early in the romance which hitched me to my future wife, we spent a midwinter weekend at Cocoa Beach — very different in freezing full moonlight – but very much “broken by weather, our home welded us together.” Do you still live by the sea?
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Only a matter of miles, Brendan. We’re on the Norfolk Broads now.
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I love this line, Kim:
haunted by
saline spectres and seabirds
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THank you, Nolcha!
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A unique off-season setting for love, Kim…fabulous hyphenated pairing!
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Thank you, Lynn!
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Sounds like some great memories shared as the struggles of life go on and on.
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Thank you, Dwight.
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You are welcome.
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Both evocative and autobiographical, Kim, it’s lovely when poets share themselves…
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Thanks Andrew.
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This reminds me of a Cornish beach on New Years Day many years ago. It is a love poem wrapped in beaches. Lovely!
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Thank you so much, Kim!
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I don’t remember this Top Tweet poem, Kim, but it’s lovely. So evocative. Winter beaches are special. I love
“haunted by
saline spectres and seabirds” and really, the whole poem–coming home to the warmth together with tea and cheese on toast. . .
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Thank you very much, Merril. I tweeted it this Tuesday.
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You’re welcome, Kim!
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“watching the carpet rise”. I can feel the draught , Kim. and the late night tea and cheese on toast……brings back memories…really enjoyed this!
JIM
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Thank you, JIm!
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What a magnetic opening, and then the imagery of the beach, the sea, just engrossing in its pull, its stark but homely northern attraction! I loved:”Seal-stalkers button-eyed us wearily,” and “damp, smoky crackles in the hearth.” A beautiful poem. I loved it.
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Your comment has warmed the cockles of my heart, Dora!
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🙂🤗
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