In the winter we need poetry of the days of summer to warm us. So I decided to make the Lyrical a literal “day at the beach,” with a poem by  local poet Denise Mostacci Sklar.  Sklar  is a dancer who has taught and performed in New York City and Boston.  She is a personal trainer in the Gyrotonic method of body work. She practices Tai Chi and has recently begun to write poetry, studying with Marc Olmsted  and  Dan Sklar.

ELEPHANT ROCK

smooth concrete wall
tall and tan
rises to meet sidewalk
big water, sky, beach wall
climbing down long steps
tiny figures on the prowl
we walk the cat walk
broken and crumbling
in parts leaping across
with sandy childhood
bathing suits, skinny legs
stumbling and barefoot
high tide, seaside city,
Lynn Beach
water touches, teasing toes,
grabs at ankles-
tired old bear, a father playing,
our Uncle Joe
fear, excitement  laughter
all at once
cold water spraying

and Elephant Rock
tucked away into skyline,
resting heavy-
familiar shadow

Our eyes are school pencils
tracing
contour
carefully watching for shape
to shift as it secretly does
between blinks,
we know where we are…
this is the place where we
drop our blankets on
Fourth of July night with
color exploding into

“oohs and ahhs”

in blackness

sinking in
to ocean-

Endless Finale.
– Denise Mostacci Sklar

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To have your work considered for the Lyrical send it to:
Doug Holder, 25 School St.; Somerville, MA 02143.
dougholder@post.harvard.edu