LAKE MONSTER

When we played on the pebble beach
our parents told us tales
about the monster in the lake
that would drag us to the depths.

So we paddled in the shallows
and never swam too far.
We left school, worked for years,
then moved to a house on the shore.

When we had kids of our own,
we walked by the lake
and told the same old stories
about that hungry monster.

Then one sunlit evening
the kids didn’t come home for tea
and we ran, calling out
along the empty beach.

Strange tracks led between the trees.
We ran faster, leapt the rocks,
doubled back and found the kids 
dipping their toes.

We scolded them at first,
but when they smiled
we smiled back
and we splashed and laughed

in the setting sunlight
and there were no shadows rising.

Paul Bavister has published three poetry books, the latest being The Prawn Season (Two Rivers Press). His recent work has appeared in Glass, Porridge, and Ink, Sweat and Tears. His poem “Starlings” came highly commended in the RSPB/Rialto poetry competition.