The Castle Moat

The scent of wild flowers blend with sun and sea
The waves below splash
Helping him remember
Buried recollections of a childhood someone else lived

Whispers from other places
A breeze from the cliffs
The cafe veranda with spiky railings
Buckets and spades and sandcastles
The warmth of sand in his sandals and toes

Standing near a castle in the summer heat
Eating ice cream by the moat
While the grown ups smile and take photographs on an old Polaroid camera