Shoreline
not for the south wind but for the clarity of the water.
stroke after stroke from the concrete outfall
a swimmer leans into the seawall’s last heat, diminishing.
there as surface, as skin flicker, light or movement.
the beach is blue, mostly blue. the sea’s edge falls
into distance. a frayed rope, night the swimmer
disturbing threads of luminescence.
Angela Gardner is a Welsh Australian writer and visual artist. Herverse novel The Sorry Tale of the Mignonette, Shearsman, was shortlisted for Wales Book of the Year, 2022. Her six poetry collections include Some Sketchy Notes on Matter, Recent Work Press, 2020 shortlisted for the Dorothy Hewett Award and the Thomas Shapcott Prize winning Parts of Speech, UQP, 2007. She currently lives in Ireland.
swim meet lit mag 