I had never seen a pelican formation

I thought them solitary, each to each

but there they were – eleven birds

slowly wafting down the beach

A leisurely diagonal which angled back

against the shoreline, biding time

one would flap a single stroke

then each one, too, in successive line

and drift along to be wherever

they were going, gently flowing

seemingly so unaware of seashell seekers

splashing swimmers or what was going on below

A team of sorts with no concern

of all the goings on and such

attentive toward their own accord

but as toward us, well, not so much