That
ragged,
rugged
shoreline
defiant
against
eons
of
waves
slamming,
wind
chewing,
and
continental
plates
that
threaten
a
grand
shift.
Convinced
this
isn’t
happenstance,
that
a
well-‐defined
purpose
injects
more
than
purported
meaning
into
every
twitch
of
the
worn
steering
wheel,
every
wrenching
twist
and
churn
of
this
perilous
highway.
Then
eventually
the
road
evens
out
and
I
emerge
on
the
precipice
of
the
California
Riviera.
I’m
compelled
to
pull
over
and
view
the
one
and
only
beach
on
the
entire
central
coast
where
elephant
seals
coat
the
shore.
Elephant
seals
vicious
in
battle
for
the
right
to
mate.
They
molt
here,
rest
up,
give
birth,
flip
sand
on
blubbery
chests,
drowse
and
dream.
This
far
south
the
climate
makes
a
dramatic
shift,
far
warmer,
and
the
beaches
become
smooth,
29