Flippin' rubbish

I went to the seaside today for the first time this year. After the recent winter storms, though, the beach was covered in huge amounts of rubbish including an alarming number of shoes ... paddling must be far more hazardous than I'd thought!


"This is the beach
where the flip flops come
at the end of their
flip flop trip.

And where does a
flip flop trip begin?

the floor of a flip flop factory;
on the shelf of a flip flop shop;
or the foot of a flip flop fan?

And what snaps the strap
of each flip flop
that finds its flip flop fate?

a flip too far;
a flop too fast;
or a slip that
flapped it back?

And what does the sea say
when she sees another flip flop fall?

'Oh, flip flop and flotsam
fair and foul,
I'll freely float you all!'?

Or, do the waters, wavey and wide
curse each clutch of clutter
that comes on each tide
and storm up the sand
with curses that worsen
at each
beach-tripping
strap-snapping
flip-flopping person?"

(Elspeth Murray - Flip flotsam)