My mom, Raynette Forister Eitel, passed away in September of 2022, age 85, drifting away into dementia. It was tragic to watch this woman who loved words, who was a poet, fade away into wordlessness after a lifetime of crafting poetry. To honor her, I’m sharing some of her poems. To read more of her poems, keep coming back here.
She grew up in the desert Southwest, but she fell in love with the sea once she was able to travel more, briefly living next to the ocean with our stepdad, Jim, and returning to the seashore every chance she got. We will be traveling to the coast to celebrate her life later this summer.
Bonfire on the Beach
by Raynette Eitel
The sun sinks into the Pacific,
A red ball, rolling quickly across the sky
And plunging into the crimson sea,
Darkness begins to cover the beach,
Save for small bonfires blazing along the sand.
Families gather for this time of laughter and light.
Small children with marshmallows on a stick
Complete the ritual of happiness. Songs float
Across the smoky night and all is well.
In future years, when they smell wood burning,
They will recall happy campfires, the taste of
Scorched marshmallows and sweetness before sleep.
Writing Rhetorically 