Even Now

A strange current took us far out from shore.

We floated, sharing our bright boogie board.

“Stay calm Roman”, he did, reflecting my worry.

A whistle blew from shore and distant guards ran down the sand.

Four swam out, muscled arms chopping through the sea.

My son and I waited, watched, stunned, hypnotized.

We bobbed on the waves, all around us the bathtub sound of water.

The lead guard reached me. Ponch from Chips.

He asked if we were OK.  “Yes” I said.

He told me to hold onto a buoy tethered to his body.

My son hugged a buoy attached to a woman.

As they swam us in, I kept the boogie board,

Grateful, so grateful for that boogie board.

A third guard swimming beside us shouted “Let go of the board!”

I complied, let go of my board, did as I was told.

We came to shore.

I stood, staggered in then fell onto my knees in the retreating foam.

To my right, the boogie board shot into the air like a joyous dolphin.

Vulnerable, humble, I picked up the boogie board, onlookers clapped.

I felt deep shame before my son’s mother.

After resting, I went to Ponch the lifeguard and thanked him.

He smiled his brilliant white smile and said “Hey, it’s what we do!”

He tried to teach me how to spot rip currents,

but I was still stunned, we had escaped death.

Paul Durand June 25, 2025

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The Patriot Ghost

An unfamiliar patriot-ghost emerged

Smoke-like from a shadowed ignored corner.

Raised-up a flag that flapped, snapped, called me out.

Glided close then eyeball to eyeball, morose,

Said “bad people are here to take your life,

to dominate, squeeze, inflict pain for fun.

You are their target, their common purpose.

Masked men have been deputized to kidnap

Brown-skinned persons off the sidewalks. You’re next.

Sisters, children, fathers, mothers, brothers.”

Grieved at what must be done, shoved toward war.

Outrage arced upward, across, a solar flare of unfocused action.

I jumped up to fight these forces, to push back to death’s door.

Citizens, we must save our homeland from banal annihilation.

Paul Durand

11/21/2025 Revised