Says the Seagull

SAYS THE SEAGULL
by April Halprin Wayland

Who are these people on my pier?
I sail above them, then fly near.

They’re singing, marching up the pier
I think they did the same last year.

A father gives his girl some bread…
he smoothes her hair then bows his head.

She watches waves, then tosses crumbs.
I dive, I catch, I swallow…yum!

A celebration on my pier—
I think I’ll meet them every year!

Note: Tashlich (pronounced tash-leek or tash-lich) is celebrated during the Jewish New Year. In my hometown, we walk in a big, singing crowd to the pier, where we toss small pieces of bread into the sea for each mistake we made this past year. We say, “L’shanah Tovah!” which means “Good New Year!”  See also my picture book, New Year at the Pier–a Rosh Hashanah Story, winner of the Sydney Taylor Book Award for Younger Readers.

published in The Poetry Friday Anthology for Celebrations, by Sylvia Vardell and Janet Wong, 2015