A whitish streak skitters across in front of us
Looking like a feather blown by the breeze
Illuminated by our headlamps in the deep darkness
Walking the nighttime beach in a light mist
Stopping and starting even though there is no wind
It's something alive that we follow to investigate
Getting a close look at the aptly named ghost crab
Before leaving it to resume its nocturnal existence
We are here on a barrier island fronting the Atlantic
Waves crashing white noise onto the smooth sand
Where we look out at the ocean from on top of the dune
In a condo built where nothing should be built
Poured concrete structures sitting on the edge
Put here not long ago to profit some developer
Waiting for a storm surge to undercut the foundation
Not long to go before toppling down into the sea
But that is then and this is now
Temporarily the beach is ours to enjoy
Even as the image of the eventual collapse
Takes shape out there in the horizon
