Beach Walk

A palate cleanser

photo, author’s own.

Here, by the water,

everything is beautiful,

sand-crusted swells,

tiers

blown like moonscape

from so much daylight and

wind.

Inhale.

Inhale!

Breathe deeply and let

salt and

hope

fill your lungs,

watch seagull lift and

plummet,

again and again,

finally coasting above water,

silvery treasure

clenched in bill.

photo, author’s own.

Search for shark fins as you always have

because,

though terrifying,

you crave to

see one,

just as you can’t help search sky

for falling plane

when overhead engine grows

too loud

(you know they are

there).

Walk. Walk.

Footprints in sand blow away,

disappearing as if

you were never

here.

Seagull shrieks and swoops,

drops shell against jetty rock

shattering it like

bone.

photo, author’s own.

And, oh, the stones!

Stones.

Lift one, then another,

then another,

Pink-hued, sage, and

gray.

This black one

sparkling with

white salt