On Saturday, a group of poets from Beyond Baroque — the Green Poets — celebrated World Poetry Day and the beginning of the grunion runs on Southern California beaches.

The Venice Oceanarium sponsored a booth and taught passersby about the grunion while we poets read our poems.

I focused on marine life and below is one I wrote about the grunion.

It will be in my book “Going to the Dogs and Other Critters.” So far no one has said it should be X-rated.

The Grunion Are Runnion

The Grunion are runnion

And coming to visit

Who cares if the sex is somewhat illicit

 

It’s happening there right in front of your eyes

After eggs are laid it should be no surprise

That the male grunion — stouthearted and true —

Fertilizes the eggs to have grunions anew

 

It happens quickly, like a roll in the hay,

With eggs left in the sand that will hatch some day

And come back to visit as adult grunion

To have sex on the beach and continue their “runnion”

Dr. Hoult, poetess laureate of Culver City, may be contacted at houltight@gmail.com