She's not his aunt or babysitter; prone to panic, they would hover, while instead she keeps her distance, lets him rule his own sand-castle kingdom, lets him run ahead— but not too far. Although discreet, she's
near enough for rescue should the despot stumble, or should aggressive seagulls make him fear a coup d'etat, or should a castle tumble. She strikes a balance only mothers can: despite her loose-limbed, hands-in-pockets
bearing, her sharp eyes nimbly sweep the sandy span commanded by the object of her caring. Her instincts keep him close enough, but free to revel in his seaside sovereignty.
Jean L. Kreiling's poetry has been published in several print and on-line journals, including 14 by 14, Dogwood, The Evansville Review, The Formalist, Mezzo Cammin, and Think Journal; she was a finalist for both the 2009 Howard Nemerov Sonnet Award and the 2010 Dogwood Poetry Prize. Her essays on music and poetry have appeared in the academic journals Ars Lyrica and Mosaic.
