Home

The ocean provides a whole new sense of comfort and safe haven.

Walk in, my vision’s blurred

No lights in this place, only blotches of sunlight

Darling rays of gold

Whose gentle shine reveals the countless specks of dust dancing around me

My fingers creep and slide and feel

What do they want to find?

They glide among silk but must surrender to shock

Colliding into static sparks, tracing the collar of an old nightgown

Move on, I say, let the adventure continue

Never seize to explore

A creak, a squeak, and then a crack

With each wooden step that I take

Memory after memory, piece by piece

This is the place they call home

Ruffled old pages and rusty gold chains

Pave the roads for my fingers to ride

Stop, I say, wait just a minute �"

My fingers brake and obey

Rough edges like a rock,

A chalky layer of dust

Heavier in between the ridges

Each tiny hair, as thin as the air,

Rises on both of my arms

Slowly, delicately, my hands take hold

They gently raise it to my ear

Spiral conch, symbol of beauty

Reminder of where I may someday escape

Listen

Wish-wash, wish-wash

Slowly back and forth

Artic jade before her sun is exposed

Rise and fall, rise again,

Then a crash on the grainy floor

Spread along the land, as far as I can see,

Like a butter-knife caresses its bread

Crash, crash, forever falling apart

Only to build herself up again

All her power and all her might

Merge to faintly blanket her sand

No one in sight, no one in mind

Just the seashells, my ocean, and me

Deep breath in, deep breath out

Ice-cold sea salt drowns my lungs

Wish-wash, wish-wash

This is my cure

There is no other remedy

Breathe in and breathe out as the sun begins to rise

The dreaded time has come for salty goodbyes

The farewell to sea mother and sand child

Someday, yes someday, her arms will open again

Eager to welcome me home

Until then her sweet waves may only taunt me

One more breath, this time my mouth open

To take her salty taste with me as I go

Don’t leave me, I say, don’t forget about me

Her glimmer winks in response

Here comes her sun, to bring her to life

Her fire burns my hopeful eyes

I blink, I swallow

My blue-green goddess is gone

All peace swims away with her

Until the next time she visits me

My fingers’ sweat draws me back to reality

Still desperately clenched to my time machine

I set my shell down, my best memory of all, and I smile

One single tear slithers down my right cheek

Caught by my tongue before it has the chance leap

Its taste takes me back once more

That ocean, my ocean, my own secret place,

Please don’t leave me, don’t forget about me.