an afternoon at the beach

It’s not really how it sounds. I mean, I was dressed in jeans, a long-sleeve shirt, and shoes & socks. But yes, I went to the beach today. San Clemente to be precise, and the reason was I was meeting a friend there. I packed a camp chair, some snacks, and layers.

I’ve known Robt for probably 25 years (wow!) give or take a year. We co-hosted the early version of the San Diego poetry slam and just clicked right away. He’s a fantastic poet, editor, host, and human. Last month he lost his partner of 35 years (on their actual anniversary!) We had been emailing over the summer when his partner, Bob, went into the hospital (not Covid-related), and continued when he was brought home for hospice. His health declined very quickly after that, much to Robt’s surprise and dismay. I needed to see him, to grieve with him, and to just be with him. I’m so glad we did.

We grabbed a spot away from people, set up our chairs apart from each other, and just talked and talked. At first, it was warm and breezy, but as the wind picked up, it came with a bit of a chill, so we started to layer bit by bit. We also ate a little bit, cried a little bit, and read poems to each other. It really was a beautiful day, even given some of the subject matter.

When I got home, Mom & I took Lulu out and had dinner. Then I did an election debrief with the group I’m in, La Mirada for Change. We broadcast on Facebook live and recorded it so it’s available on the LM for Change page if you’re interested.