Living dangerously
When I became daunted
only a few steps down
I persevered, edged
along the narrow path
cut in the cliff face,
slippery after rain.
Zigzagged down from
one outcrop to the next.
Seagulls soaring, diving.
Up draughts, down draughts.
Far below, the boom
of momentous waves.
The foot of the cliff
usually lies below sea level
but at low tide rocks emerge,
encrusted with seaweed.
Then, revealed, is the
entrance to a secret cave.
Not that secret, well-known
in photographs. But few brave
the cliff path to experience
first hand the cave’s wonders,
an underwater death trap
except for that brief period.
The beam of my torch is lost
among spectacular voids,
sculptural rock formations
on a truly elemental scale.
The rocks start to gurgle,
the tide is turning.
Very vivid and immediate. This is especially noticeable in the last stanza which uses the present tense. I wonder if the present tense could be used throughout? Here and there the language is prose-like and I wonder if it could be trimmed ? eg. ‘Then, revealed’; ‘except for that brief period’. A very enjoyable poem.
Well, I felt myself slipping down that path as I read! Great!
I particularly like the last verse, sharp and vivid.
I agree with Robbie, a spot of trimming perhaps – well, it is the season for trimming isn’t it?