Poetry About the Beach (…or poetry to read on the beach, OR poetry to read pretending you are at the beach … you deserve that much at least!) I am fortunate enough to live 30 minutes from the beach. This is far enough away to make me feel comfortable during hurricane season and helps me avoid high-traffic areas, but it is also close enough that I can pop over after a rough day, plop down a blanket, and recharge with a good book while the waves roll relentlessly in and out. I wouldn’t consider myself a “deep” person, I’m not big on self-reflection except at one place and one place only — with my toes in the sand and the sounds of the waves crushing in front of me. So for me, the beach and a volume of poetry go hand in hand. Throw in a waterfront crab shack with tasty apps and cold drinks, and that is truly my idea of heaven on Earth. The books you read AT the beach don’t have to be ABOUT water. You aren’t doomed to a life choosing between The Rime of the Ancient Mariner or The Old Man and the Sea. Whether