Impulse

Chasing a seagull, a boy thunders by. Face squeezed
like a fist, the little Attila’s fat feet pound the beach.
Soon he’ll lose interest, bombard his brother
with pebbles, throw minnows in a yellow pail. 

Seagulls, too, play fast and loose. A whirlwind 
of wings attacks a bag of pretzels. Snatched 
from a weaker gull’s beak, a fish glitters.
Crabs incite wild dives, squawking. 

Two small girls laugh on a pink vinyl raft. 
Salt water tickles their limbs. Skimming 
the ripples, they bellow fortissimo 
this afternoon’s anthem: How Far I’ll Go.

Who knows why we desire
what we desire.