if only for ten minutes br br after the mass feeding of schoolchildren br after the careful inanity of the staff br br at low tide br this was the place br for calm, for order of a kind br br the relief of walking there br br and the smell was acceptable br perhaps even preferable br br the objects to be br seen br found br br principally (I have it still) br a short fat halfpound brass bolt and nut br virgin, unscrewed br br other things less permanent br br sodden grey bones br scratched glass, rubbed brick, rusted gatebutts br once a chaffinch eggshell br br every conceivable other br br but mainly dirty shingle br silt br prairies of malachite slime br br though was the important thing br that I met no one else there?br br Ben Jonsonbr br