Dreaming, drifting, soft wind rising,
in these sea-salt days.
Billowing clouds gather in a powder blue world
set apart.
The sea spills gems generously upon the shore,
always gifting those seeking treasures.
Broken shells, sea glass, and polished stones
glitter like tiny stars beneath our feet.
We stroll the beach, and the ocean roars;
the seagulls cry, and we watch them soar.
How lovely is this place in time,
this moment in the sun…
Could it be that I might stay and never leave
this beach town by the sea?
I love this powder blue world,
a blur of sky, and sea, and soft, white sand.
The sea-salt memories are etched upon my heart…
days gone by, return again.
So, whether I stay, or whether I go,
this little beach town is a part of me.
The sea grass stirs, a little crab scurries;
time seems to slow, as if in a dream.
I make my way on the sandy shore;
each step a new discovery…
Chincoteague Island Trip
We visited Chincoteague Island as it celebrated the 99th Anniversary of Pony Penning Week. It was awesome to visit Assateague Island and to see all these ponies. I read ‘Misty of Chincoteague’, by Marguerite Henry, when I was a young girl. It is a children’s novel set in the town of Chincoteague and was inspired by a true story.
One of the highlights of the trip, besides the beautiful beach and charming bookstores, was seeing the movie, “Misty’ at the Island Theatre in Chincoteague. The movie first premiered on the island in 1961 and is presented during pony swim week.
When I was a young girl, I always dreamed of visiting this place. I loved horses, and in my younger days, I was fortunate enough to ride horseback by the sea. We took our family horse swimming in the bay, and that was certainly a fun thing to do!
The years have come and gone, but this time my granddaughters were able to take a pony ride in Chincoteague and participate in the wonder of this awesome week of events.
I was charmed by this lovely seaside town and the warm, welcoming people who live there. Wherever we turned, someone offered us directions, or gave us information about something we shouldn’t miss seeing before we left the island.
When you visit a new place or travel to a distant land, it is so wonderful to encounter hospitality, and a warm welcome. It makes all the difference in the world.
We are called to practice hospitality wherever we may reside. Romans 12:13: “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.”
When I return from a trip there is always some beach sand left in my beach bag. There is probably some beach sand in my shoes… Those traces of sand are a reminder of my journey and the special people I encountered along the way.
In the end, no matter how the beautiful beach, how delicious the food, or how lovely the shops, it is the people we meet that change our lives.
I did not buy a lot of souvenirs on our trip. I enjoyed the time with our family at the beach and also meeting people from all over who came to this event. The ‘souvenirs’ are memories I carry with me.
Being away from home for a number of days in a new place reminded me again of the scripture verse from Romans 12:13. Wherever we are, we can practice hospitality. Who knows what a difference it may make in someone else’s life? I do believe there are angels in our midst…As for us, we do not need wings; we need hearts that love, and a welcoming spirit…
I agree wholeheartedly , Linda. The souvenirs that I treasure most are the memories of events, conversation, moments that I have connected with others and with myself.
“How lovely is this place in time,
this moment in the sun…”
Every day is precious…
Yes! Every day is precious! We cannot ‘save up’ days. We can only live them as best we can…
I relate Linda. When our kids were you we vacationed by ” the island with horses ” as the kids called it. They loved the beach and beach house.
I am so glad you shared those times together as a family. Childhood surely passes quickly enough. An ‘island with horses’ is a wondrous thing…
How beautiful, Linda. Your poem, the photos, the experience…in some ways, it gave me a mini “vacation” around the horses through your delightful hospitality of words! God bless you!
Thank you for your beautiful comment! 🙂 I wish you God’s blessings also! There is a tranquility to be found beside the sea…We certainly want to share it with others! 🙂
You’re welcome! ANd thank you! 💕
memories in every grain of sand, I’m with you there! Appreciate your story of riding ponies by the sea, I used to ride a lot but on farms … and now your Grandies have been blessed with that beautiful memory they will cherish their lifetime 🙂
Yes! I do believe the grandchildren will cherish these memories. They were so very happy, enjoying the little things…crabbing in the evenings, Grandpa making chocolate-chip pancakes for them in the morning, and seeing the ponies at daybreak on the beach.
the are more lasting memories than anything they can see or do on a screen 🙂
Yes! 🙂 🙂 🙂
I love your poem! I feel the same way about Hannaford Cove in Cape Elizabeth, Maine. I absolutely fell in love with Misty of Chincoteague when I was a kid!
Thank you! These special places certainly do stay with us long after we leave! I used to do a lot of scrapbooking and it was nice to have a book about each trip. It has been a while since I have done that. 🙂
You’re welcome, Linda!
It sounds delightful! My third grade teacher read the book to us. I didn’t know then that my Uncle John Shepherd had been stationed on Chincoteague during WWII with the Coast Guard!
We owe a debt of gratitude to your Uncle John and all the members of your family that served our country so faithfully. You have served well too, in honoring their service and preserving the legacy of their lives. Chincoteague is a beautiful place…so many beautiful places to visit!!! 🙂
Linda, a beautiful post and I was walking the beach with you! 😀 No wonder this is a firm family favourite and to where you return year after year. I love how you feel that ‘The ‘souvenirs’ are memories I carry with me.’ So true! Even when not physically there your heart and spirit still is – a richness in itself!
I have to admit that I cherish my trips to the ocean! And, I do carry the memories with me always when I am not there. (I do bring home shells…I just made a mosaic of shells on a wooden shelving unit.) What to do with all these shells that I bring home???
I have wanted to visit that island ever since I was a child and read “Misty of Chincoteague!” You are so lucky to go there and have that be your special place to relax with family. What a beautiful post!
Thank you, Ann! The ponies were awesome. We had a pretty good weather week and that was nice too! 🙂
What a lovely getaway, Linda. I agree with you that a warm welcome and friendly community can make all the difference. Your poem is gorgeous and made me long to spend a week at the beach – the epitome of summer. <3
It was a wonderful getaway! I do love horses…the sense of freedom they represent. The days of summer are waning as I know they must…Already, the leaves are starting to fall.
I love autumn too, so that’s okay. 🙂
Autumn is a beautiful season…
I too read Misty of Chincoteague as a girl. How delightful that you got to experience Pony Penning Week for yourself, AND share it with family. (Shared memories are wonderful treasures, aren’t they?) As for beach towns, we lived in two beach towns in FL, one for just 2 1/2 years, another for 13 years. It was a special delight for this Midwestern girl to live near the beach! P.S. You write the most delightful poems, Linda–engaging the emotions and touching the heart!
You are blessed with those years by the sea. The Midwest is beautiful also. I spent four years in Indiana while I was in college. I absolutely loved the Indiana dunes!!! Our country has so many awesome places. The more we travel, the more wonder we find…I have discovered so much joy in each place that I have lived…different, but so very special in its own way. I would not trade a moment of those experiences…I am confident that you feel the same.
I agree–we too have discovered joy in each place where we’ve lived. My husband and I both grew up in the Midwest, and that’s where we’ve returned after 40 years in FL. Our older son and family ended up here; we followed upon retirement. Love the hills and trees, as well as the changing seasons–not to mention the proximity to grandchildren! You’re right–the Indiana dunes offer great fun on a hot summer day! P.S. Where did you attend college? We graduated from Taylor University in Upland, IN.
My husband and I both attended Valparaiso University. We met freshman year of college. I am not really crazy about cold weather, but I did love all the snow. In winter, it was surely a snowy wonderland!
I love the snow too–as long as I don’t have to drive in it!! 😁
I loved Maguerite Henry’s books as a child (Misty was a favorite along with Justin Morgan) and enjoyed reading them aloud to my girls. Your trip sounds like it was lovely in so many ways. Your words “Those traces of sand are a reminder of my journey and the special people I encountered along the way” really jumped out at me.” A beautiful reminder that every journey has special people who leave a mark on my life.
Yes! It is the people we remember on each and every journey! God has blessed us with so many beautiful things in this world. There are mountains and valleys, fields that flourish, mighty rivers, and the ocean deep. Still, it is the people who have touched our lives that has had the most profound impact on our being…
What a lovely post Linda. I live not to far from a different beach town and it does has a different atmosphere to it compared to regular towns.
Thank you! There is something about a beach town…People do seem to relax some beside the ocean! I do love the salty air and seeing the sun rise or set over the sea. (I take way too many pictures.) 🙂
How beautiful, Linda! I love any beach, and your top photo captures the allure. I’m glad you experienced such hospitality, and I agree about souvenirs. The word means to remember.
I’ve been to Chincoteague once, but not during the roundup. I stayed with some writers at the house of another writer who lived there then. We got to see ponies just hanging around, grazing by the street. I’m not certain I’ve ever read or seen Misty. We visited the museum–kind of old-fashioned touristy, but there were also some interesting artifacts, from what I remember.
We did not make it to the museum…maybe, next time. We spent a lot of time at the beach, porch-sitting in the evenings to watch the sunsets, attending the pony events, and eating more seafood than we needed to eat! We also managed to find some fudge…It sounds like a wonderful writer’s retreat! 🙂
Honestly, we only went to the museum because it was cold and rainy! We were there in March. We had one beautiful spring day, and then it turned to winter again. Your beach time sounds perfect!
I am glad you had that one beautiful spring day! March brings us many gifts…dreams of spring, cold and rain!!! We always need the rain! Knowing you as I do, with your poet’s heart, there were wonders to be found in the rainy season…In the bleakest cold of a winter’s day, you would find something beautiful. 🙂 And that is why I love your poetry!
Oh, that’s so very kind, Linda. 💙
I don’t want to whitewash, but I do tend to be an optimist who looks for beauty. My scholarly work has often focused on brutal, horrible things.
Thank you Linda. I thoroughly enjoyed my visit with this post. Your narrative and photos share the uncompromising spirit of this area. Several years ago, my wife and I visited Ocean City, Maryland. I was blessed my first taste of the Atlantic Ocean. Being from the Eastern Shore, my wife grew up with water literally at her front door.
I know you enjoyed that trip to Ocean City! Our country has so many beautiful places…The summer has slipped by, and September will soon be here. I enjoy a walk on the beach any season of the year, but summertime is always best! 🙂