August in Tuff City

 

Totem carved by Joe David and gifted to the town.
District of Tofino photo.

RV’s are everywhere,

all summer,
in our small village
of two thousand souls.

They lumber along our narrow streets

like huge carnivores,

in search of elusive parking spots

in which to graze.

At the two four corner stops,

tourists cluster, indecisive,

trying to decide which corner to visit.

Drivers wait, some patiently, some not,

for them to choose.

Folks are everywhere in August.

CoOp cashiers are polite, efficient,

but their eyes are glazed.

The other day there were
five THOUSAND transactions -

and still the clerks remain
pleasant and wonderful.

Finally, September will come.

Smiling faces will come up the hill

to the CoOp,

gather on the corner

by the Post Office,

catch up on the news;

observe the weather,

the touch of coolness

as the season slowly turns.

“I’m so glad fall is coming,”

I say to the clerk as I buy my veggies.

“Oh, I KNOW!” she replies fervently,

and we share a smile.

We wait all summer for its end,

when the town returns to us

once more

and our local life

resumes.

The familiar buildings

invite us in,

to linger over produce,

make of our small purchases

a social thing.

Our pace slows;

we can see each other now.

We smile as we pass.

“Beautiful day!”

“Oh, it is!”

Down the hill on First Street,

(we have four side streets

and two main,

in our downtown core)

the water shines in late-summer sun.

Clouds wisp along Wah-nah-juss;

small aluminum boats putt-putt

across the harbour.

The village soon will be
ours again;

we embrace the fog,

the coolness,

ready our rain gear,
our boots,

anticipate the wildness

of winter waves.

Tuff City basks and smiles

at season's end.
Its young people bicycle gayly

along the common path,

surfboards attached to the sides

of their bikes.

Seniors gather at

the seaside with
mugs of tea.

Shorebirds flock
along the beach
resting up for

their passage south.
Dogs run in and out
of the waves
with loopy grins.

And I am grateful

for it all:

each little thing.

Its beauty fills my heart;

it is the song I sing.

for Mary's prompt at What's Going On? - August