William O’Malley was born and raised in Boston but retired early from a banking job to live as a beach bum in Puerto Rico.

Lobster Roll
By William O’Malley

When the snow falls back home
I let the sand trickle through
my fingers and remember snow
clouds gray and landscapes white
flat against marble blue water.

A child’s beach shovel
lies in the surf. When I move
it to dryer lands low on the dunes
I think of the weight of winter
on muscle memory.

All the delicacies
plucked fresh from the ocean
and grilled same day with
garlic, lime, and beer
can make a man happy fat.

But the thing that will
get me on a plane north
is the irresistible pull
of a Neptune Oyster House
lobster roll.

But not until summer
graces the rocky coast
of my native home.