Unpublished Works: Children's Works

Sandy Toes and Ice Cream Cones
By Elizabeth Kelch
Written Aug 2020
Dedicated to Fire Island, and Davis Park, NY

1. The ferry arrives

Really big blue boat with a really loud horn
Windows below and benches on top
People line up to get tickets
People carry lots of stuff. Chairs, umbrellas, coolers, beach bags with lots of bright colors

Image – large blue ferryboat seen coming up the river toward the ferry station where child is standing

2. Boarding noisy metal ramp

It bangs when I step on it. Many noisy feet
Stuff stacked downstairs
Upstairs to sit on the benches

Image – through the ferry terminal door, looking out to show the metal ramp ready for passengers to board

3. on the ferry, watching the wake

Rumble of the big engines under metal floors
Behind the boat the water is mixed up and bubbly

Image – on the ferry looking backward, into the wake

4. arriving in the marina

Big bump when we get there.
Busyness! People going every which way
Crowds, dogs, packages, wagons and carts

Image – from the top deck of the ferry looking down the steps and onto the dock

5. animals watching and board walks

Walking up the long boardwalk
Deer in the bushes stops walking to look and listen
Frogs under the bushes
Bird in a tree
Dragonfly flies by

Image – looking up main walk through the center of town and its crowded with people

6. waves

Waves chasing me up and down the beach
They knock me over
They bury Mom’s feet

Image – little kid playing in the waves with the bottom half of mom’s legs

7. bubbles in the sand and sand fleas

Bubbles and holes in the sand
Dig up the bubbles
Sand fleas live in there
It tickles my hand

Image – sand with bubbles and holes while wave washes out, sand flea on a hand

8. digging a really big hole

Digging a really big hole in the sand
Dad helps my dig.
We are digging to the center of the earth

Image – Little kid digging a hole with Dad

9. under the boardwalks

What’s under those boardwalks? I want to see.
Bugs, dirt, grass, …

Image – under the board walks, from along the side showing top as well as what’s underneath

10. lunch at the snack bar

Hot sunshine
Big plastic table and benches
A hot dog and potato chips
Eating in my wet, sandy swimming suit

Image – elevated outdoor restaurant/snack bar deck, looking over the edge toward the marina

11. driftwood

Going for a walk to the bay
Through the tall grass
Walking and picking up driftwood
This one is gnarly, this one is airy, this one is smooth, this one is green and slimy
Walking in gentle waves that don’t knock me over

Image – down the makeshift board walk through the tall grass to the bay side of the island

12. boats

In the marina, big boats and little boats
Fast boats, slow boats
Crabs in the water, Fish jumping, people resting, grownup stand around talking.
We get ice cream from the store

Image – busy marina and kid with an ice cream cone

13. sunset at the beach

Back on the beach it’s not so hot
The water is closer in and there’s less beach
The hole filled up, the water came up, washing in and filled the hole

Image – sunset on the beach, the sand hole washed over and water filled, kid standing in it

14. The hole is gone

The sand doesn’t burn my feet
Less crowded and the ocean is less wavy
I bury mom’s legs in the sand
She says I have to help push the wagon full of beach stuff

Image – crowd of adults sitting on beach chairs, kid lazily pushing sand onto mom’s legs, wagon full of beach stuff in the background

15. on the porch in the dark

It’s getting dark. We sit on the porch
Snacks I’m not allowed to have at home
Tired… rocking in mom’s lap

Image – beach house porch in the waning daylight, kid on Mom’s lap

16. bed time on the sleeping porch

I feel like I’m sleeping outside
I look through the window screens
Feel the cool, moist breeze on my face as mom tucks me in

Image – sleeping porch, twin bunk beds, screen windows, dark outside

17. goodnight on the island

Listening to the ocean and the outside noises
Loud bugs, quiet talking, feet on the boardwalks
Goodnight island

Image – nighttime ocean, looking along the beach with house and sleeping porch showing