The sky was summer blue and the June sun hot,
yet dark shadows chased each other
and rippled the sea in an ominous way;
further down the beach bathers were still splashing about
unaware that watery monsters, with long slimy arms lurked,
waiting to tear them to pieces
and the sea would turn rosier than a beautiful sunset.

Dipped an alarmed toe into the sea
and decided that the water was too cold,
sat on a green towel minding my cowardice
when two girls came and sat near me,
vanity won, pulled in my stomach, dived into the sea
and paled under my suntan when a long arm grabbed at my foot-
OK, so it was only a rope-
but it could have been man-eating octopuses.

When I waded ashore the girls totally ignored me,
busy snogging, I let my stomach sag,
put my glasses back on for another lecherous look
and annoyed saw that it was a pony tailed boy and his lovely girlfriend.
Envious I plunged a sun hat on my two strands of hair,
covered my middle-aged body with a flowery shirt
grumbled about youth today and walked home.