Poem: A Childhood Buddy by Mark Tulin

An earlier version of this poem was published on a Philadelphia website, North of Oxford. Featured photo by Mark Tulin.

A Childhood Buddy
by Mark Tulin
.
The seabird followed me
along the shoreline
during a walk on the beach.
Not just any bird, but an old friend.
He limped with an injured leg,
and scoured the sands for food
as he trailed my footsteps.
He was a childhood buddy
from the old neighborhood
who shared common memories.
When I stopped to rest,
He sat and watched me
as the tide rolled out and in.
His life covered in feathers,
his skinny legs a shade of gray.
He remembered me
when he stood on human legs
and covered in skin.