Footprints in Sand Don’t Last
I left my footprints in the sands of a Cape Cod beach in early May, Then pressed
a copy of my hands. A heedless tide swept them away.
Next with paper and pen I wrote, giving my thoughts to the sheet the finest prose that I could emote; in vintage cursive, sprawling but neat.
Paper words die from time or spilt beer.
To leave my words forever behind so the next writers will know I was here was the hope and goal I had in mind.
To the rescue is the site of the Creative Exile for it knows that the spoken word is in the air and that paper lasts merely a little while but the mighty digital word is always there!
Bill lives in the middle of Cape Cod which is the setting for many of his short stories and articles as well as a few of his books.
- Footprints in Sand Don’t Last - May 6, 2016
- The Endless Dream - April 19, 2016
First let me commend you on your fine verse, as well the image in the sand “The Creative Exiles” yes indeed the digital word is mighty, unlike paper, it won’t fade away, although it can be deleted easily enough for those who don’t like what we penned. I too hope that some of my work will be read when I am long dead, but like the wave coming in over the sand bed, my name too may vanish as quickly as it came. My legacy I leave to family and friends and strangers alike. First, I’ve written for myself, second for the world to enjoy if enjoyed at all. I loved your Footprints in the Sand Bill, keep writing for us all, you have a way with your pen sir.
Thanks Vincent and congratulations on the riveting work you have made available to the site. To be a thinker in a world of mindless twittings, tweetings, selfies, and mass produced ‘scholars’, is a difficult job, made so much easier by your work and that of the other members of this excellent venue.
Yes Bill, our digital footprint resounds in cyberspace, and lets hope Creative Exiles grows to accommodate all those writers who mean their words to endure. Nicely penned and a hope we can all make a difference. Cheers my friend.
Thanks Tony. I think our common goal is to make a difference and to have our work noticed. We do write for ourselves and we cherish our work as our literary children. I have always struggled with the characters in my stories because when I take a liking to them, I don’t want anything bad to happen to them. This might be good for the fictional character, but it rarely improves the story. Somebody said killing off your characters is almost like killing your own children. Another old chestnut advises “Kill your darlings”. Keep up your great and inspiring work.
I really like this, Bill. As Tony says, I hope “we can all make a difference”, as if we carve our works in stone so the waves won’t wash them away. Very well done, Bill.
Great work, Bill. I didn’t expect to see a poem from you, but it was a pleasant surprise and very well penned. I love the Creative Exiles written in the sand….good work..pity that tide was coming in to wash it away.
Thanks so much for reading this Phyllis. Your superb work on this site has inspired me to try out a few new things. After decades as a print and broadcast news-writer, I had fallen into the formulaic trap of the “Five Ws” -telling a story or a news item by merely filling in the blanks of Who, What, When, Why and Where. Fleeing from that trap has been a difficult but exciting adventure.
Thanks John. I’ve been plugging away at this writing thing since the 1950s and I believe that since I started on Hubpages and now here, I am truly improving and still learning. I figure I will be good enough to crank out a best seller if I can only manage to live another 73 years ! !! !!! All kidding aside, your work and that of the others here, is not only informative, entertaining, and thought provoking; but also instructional. Congratulations to you and all the others involved in this ambitious effort. The next Lee Child, Stephen King, or Robert Frost may well come from The Creative Exiles or a similar site.
Like your poem Bill and love the set up style. I will have to try it sometime!
Thanks Jackie for reading and for the comment.