The poem is PILES OF SHELLS...

"Piles of Shells" illustration from Nancy Standlee for my "Dreams of the Turtle King" beach poem book.

The poem is PILES OF SHELLS and the illustration is for a stanza in the poem ...

"The seashells cover the
beach this morning..."

The beach was constantly changing. On this morning walk, I couldn't get over how many shells there were, all the way up to the high tide mark. Some days you could search a long time before finding any shells, but this day they were abundant and in all shapes and sizes and colors.

I used to collect them, bringing them home to line the bookshelves and stored in baggies in drawers. But I soon realized there would always be more and more to find and I should just enjoy them when I took my morning walks. I have to admit a few did make their way with my when we moved out of Florida!