been too long

it had been twenty years since I walked barefeet in the sand

something about the sound of the waves rushing the beach

made my heart feel soft

God smiled on me

maybe I had walked about twenty minutes revelling

in the sky, the surf, the scenery, watching people at their play

when I lost my shoes

and socks

they just fell right off, well, maybe that wasn't it at all,

but there was this pool around a rock, and on the rock

were plump and colorful starfish and I reasoned that I should

take a picture

for my kids

I rolled my pants legs up, but the pool was deeper than I thought

and so when I had touched the starfish, because I really just had to

and waded out of the pool

my pants legs were soaked up to my knees, school children stopped

and stared, and said 'you're wet', bless their hearts, and I said, 'yes,'

'but I won't get in trouble for it'

Author's Note

it just sort of fell out and I'm not sure whether I ought to keep it or not, time will tell, I guess

Reviews

[NoneOfYourBusiness akaK..]

this is how I walk the shoreline myself~ must touch~ must observe~ must capture~ my grandson comes with me~ we both get in trouble courtesy of his mom for coming home drenched and with what he calls "sandy butts" I adore the innocent infusions breathing throughout your write because if we care for the little one in all of us~ we retain just enough childlike qualities to remind ourselves that life is for living and all the rest is rubbish~ =)~

[Southern Cross]

Made me smile Thank You Emily..some days that's all we need

[...]

. oh ... my ... god ... i just read an ocean of words that replenished my soul ... you are so beautiful and these words ... the scene ... the feeling ... is amazingly ravishing and exquisite and exotic ... oh, emily ... bless your heart ... just the words i needed to read today ... and touch the waves ... who cares about immersing in the deep waters ... this is divine ... and super awesome ... :) ...

[Fretty Pastille]

this smile feels so warm inside
i do like your writing
i just wrote the poem about being a child in a contrick of a man
and I guess I wrote it withsome shame attached
you just gave me another angle
that actually there is a plus side

"they just fell right off, well, maybe that wasn't it at all,"

i love the "well, maybe that wasn't it at all,"

for me it's very relaxing reading your words

[paul]

the joys of adulthood: 'not getting in trouble for it'

and the sea must have been happy to see you, after 20 years

[alan peter kelly]

i hear you in every elegant phoneme...always feel blessed by something warm and very real after reading what your mind exposes..

[Lydia Blackwell]

God bless you. this is joy at it's most complete.

[Libby McKeown]

I think it's wonderful. Hold onto it. The memory will circulate and rearticulate itself, I think. This poem kind of made my heart soften reading it. Thanks for singing.

[zig]

this is how i feel up in the hills, i cant just be in the mountains, i have to be "in" the mountains... and mostlikely wet.

[arbitrary jane]

perfect moments. :) these small significant stories, they're the ones that define us. and the writing is fluid and real. i was there with you... knee deep in tidepools, making all the schoolkids stare. :)