Summer gatherings
A seaside congregation
Familiar strangers
Flocking together
Differences set aside
Summer breezes shared
A medley of feet
Dash across the scalding sand
Splashing summer sea
A variety of terns were gathered together on a South Carolina beach. They reminded me of the hoards of people that congregate together on the beach in summer — strangers gathered in close proximity for the shared enjoyment of the sea. The featured photo showcases two royal terns and a Forster’s tern. The least tern (above) is tiny by comparison and apparently more skittish. There were two assembled with the rest of the group, but they would run off as I approached.
TankaTuesday Poetry Challenge No. 17, hosted by Selma.
JJJ Interactive Books 
Beautiful photos. I’m glad you got so many different terns into one post: since I don’t see any of them here, it’s a great way to find out how different they are from each other.
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Thank you! This may have been my first time seeing a least tern or, at “least”, the first time since I started making an effort to identify birds.
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Lifers! Congratulations
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I love these terns! My sister lives in FL and I enjoy watching them skitter along the beach… Your poem brought back their motion and the memory of their group dynamic!
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Thank you, Val! Glad you like them. 😊
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Love this, my friend .
Nature and people — same beach, same instinct: gather, soak, scatter.
The least tern? A tiny introvert in a sea of social butterflies.
Summer’s real poetry is in moments like these. 🌊🐦
Philo
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Ha! In large crowds of strangers, I can relate to the tiny introvert. Thank you, Philo! 😊
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Welcome, my friend
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What a lovely haiku Rensaku! I loved watching the terns on the beach. What a great capture of your tern experience.
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Thank you, Colleen! 😊
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a lovely series. Enjoyed it tremendously. Thanks for joining in.
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Thank you, Selma! 😊
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I would be the least tern… but love seeing groups all comfortable and enjoying life together – love these verses …💞
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Thank you, Suzanne! 😊
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love the photos, love the verses and love the idea 💜💜💜
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Thank you, Willow! 😊
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so nice Jennifer! 💖💖👌👌
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Thank you, Carol Anne! 😊
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