The Umbrella 

My husband said, "Take an umbrella, they've got some we can use."

So we went down to the beach, cause that's what we like to do.

It was quite drizzly and wet along the beach that day,

And to keep from getting soaked,

We took the umbrellas to keep the moisture at bay.

 

We ambled along the beach and let the sand run between our toes.

Stretching our legs and waiting for cocktail hour, I suppose.

"Ahoy there!" A man on the beach called out. "You two, stop there!

There's a helicopter coming in very soon,

And it's going to land right on the beach over here!"

 

We watched with interest to see how this would unfold.

And we stood at a distance, just as we were told.

Closer it loomed, like a black hawk hovering in the sky.

My husband called out, "Make sure you hold onto your umbrella,

Or it will take off in the blink of an eye."

 

With two hands, I clenched my umbrella tight.

For he'd had experience with these things,

And I knew he was right.

He said, "when that helicopter comes down to land,

It's going to kick up a whirlwind and a blistering blast of sand.

 

At the last minute as the helicopter came in to land,

He turned his back against that sandy blast.

While I battled the gust as it blew on past.

The size of the squall caught us quite unprepared,

And the umbrella caught the worst of it just as he'd feared.

 

It had turned inside out in the blink of an eye, just as he'd said.

But one took the blast and the other ....

Was miraculously spared!

He stood there all forlorn with metal spikes exposed.

As he desperately tried to ram it right side in,

Thinking he could fix it I suppose.

 

I laughed at our hilarious predicament..

For that umbrella was permanently buckled and bent.

He tried to straighten it with such a delicate gentleness.

But that umbrella was done for.

It was a helluva mess.

 

Laughter bubbled up and I could not hold it at bay.

Especially when I saw his expression.

As he gloomily frowned at me with dismay.

He hurriedly tried to bash it into some sort of shape.

Until finally he gave up and we scurried off to make a hasty escape.

 

Now for all the advice that he’d dispensed that day with worldly wisdom
He should've listen to himself, before he became the very next victim.
For the umbrella that took the brunt of the blast that day?

Was not mine ....  and his?

Can be located jammed in a bin he found along the way!