Contents of the City of Manzanita, Oregon’s (a Small Beach Town) Lost & Found closet in February
by Tricia Knoll
one hooded pink rain jacket, size small
a fluorescent-yellow broken umbrella
two sweatshirts (one U of O, one OSU — extra larges)
lime green flip-flops
three rings (ruby, gold band, and child-sized mood ring)
ten sets of keys
one Prius key ring
one Kindle
a corkscrew
a surf rod and reel
two unmatched earrings
four smartphones
I rummaged around for my cat’s-eye sunglasses. No such luck.
IMAGE: Marilyn Monroe in cat’s-eye sunglasses by Arnold Newman (1962).
NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: The ocean is a great cleaner of the beach. Not much on the Pacific hangs out very long when it is lost. The ocean takes away most of the flip-flops and brings back a few half-shells and agates. The days of finding Japanese glass fishing floats are pretty much over with. This poem is from Ocean’s Laughter.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Tricia Knoll, an Oregon poet, owned a vacation rental beach house in Manzanita for 25 years. Her poetry about change over time in this small Oregon town is collected in Ocean’s Laughter (Aldrich Press). Her website is triciaknoll.com.
Silver Birch Press 