Written for:  Poetics Aside #433 – Write a fun poem.

In a cabin on a hill
overlooking glistening
ocean, we were four friends
at leisure. On arrival,
the guys batted a ball
around using two large
umbrellas.  I have the photo.

We rented funny movies,
drank more than a little
wine. My girlfriend created
a hanging man out of
pipe cleaners. We placed him
in the front window. Through
that window we watched sun
smile through daybreak,
and sky burst into purple-red
ripples at sundown.

My girlfriend’s husband,
infamous for whoops-ing
his way through dropped
glassware, wine spills,
and other ills, poked noisily, 
and mercilessly at offended
logs in the fireplace.
We knew he was due for
a mishap. The guys went
out for groceries. Soon as
they left, we smelled smoke.
No joke. Mr. Whoops had dumped
what he thought were cooled
ashes into a plastic garbage
can in the kitchen. Shazam!
Fire rose and melted the can
into a strange lumpy shape.
We could not stop laughing.
We laughed on the beach,
in restaurants, and in that
cabin on a hill, overlooking
the beach.