Defying Gravity

The sun rising
over the ridge as I
stagger back across the
beach & sandy pavement

my board under my left
arm my body sheathed in
black ripcurl neoprene
dripping wet

A hungry ghost wearing
some kind of heavy duty
Bodidharma headgear
approaches

he’s got a snarling 2-headed
pit bull on a leash

Life is short & I know
there are no answers
in this confluence

& as he passes he says
“Nice Ranchero, dude”

I took it as a gratuitous
blessing & bestowed upon him
the mystic hang-loose mudra

as he turned the corner
& disappeared
into the early morning mist