Not IK




I remember how
cold drizzle
mixed with salt spray
as the water
lapped the beach.

It was too cold
 for bare feet,
but still I took off my shoes,
and walked,
wet sand squishing
beneath my toes.

Looking up,
I moved
an errant strand of hair
off of my face
to be tossed
with the rest of my hair
by the chill wind.

Ah, sea gull,
how I watched you fly,
as you danced against a backdrop
of gray sky
and dark gray water,
skipping like all my hopes
between heaven
and the abyss.

I thought of dolphins,
and merfolk,
and the birth of life,
and the death of memory,
and knew I was standing
before a mystery too big
too big to be contained.

Letting the end of the wave
wash gently over my cold toes,
I bent down,
and picked up a shell –
no answers here.
With a sigh, I walked back to my car.