as I stroll to alluring Torre Abbey
and pause by the Spanish Barn
which held hundreds of prisoners
from the ill-fated Spanish Armada.
This abbey allows spectacular views,
flowerbeds with a myriad of hues
and mulberry trees here before
the oldest person on earth was born,
a reminder of our fleeting existence.
I wander through the North Cloister,
a woman relaxes on a bench
alone with her thoughts on this summer day,
I feel tranquillity making my way
to the ruined limestone walls of the library
and the Chapter House where monks prayed
for their departed comrades.
I sense the Almighty as I touch the walls
of this ancient abbey built in 1196
as the sun burns away the summer clouds,
yes, I'm at peace...free from the seaside crowds.