James McGurk’s most recent poem to appear here was Twisted Sheets (April 2015).
The Challenge
By James McGurk
You
….Bronzed warrior
……..Painted zinc oxide face
…………Sand washed boardshorts
What prize do you seek
….When your eyes scan
……..The thundering mysterious wave
Cresting from
….Solar wind driven swells
……..Curling to misty mountain peaks
…………From first break
…………….Wave over wave
………………..To green barrels
……………………Of aqua caves
Until the wind
….Can no longer push
……..Fading into
…………The burning horizon
Unleashing ancient spirits
….Riding a mercurial Alaia Board
……..Royalty of Kings
…………Rushing toward a shoreline
Of mystic seekers
….Waiting to take their place
……..Among nobility
And celebrate
….The soul
……..Of surfing