It was sitting on the beach

It was on the beach they found it

It was waiting on the beach

For the tide to rise and claim it

It smelled of rotten meat

And it was waiting

Sat in jelly like a hagfish

It was drying in the sun

Its mouth was full of teeth

More than is usual

It was darker than the weed

But it was lighter than the foam

When at last the water carried it away

There seemed to be a pattern

Forming underneath its skin

But no-one had a camera that day

And as it floated further out

Dark upon the sea, like oil

They packed their things and headed home

The beach was spoiled