Today I quietly celebrate a moment passed.
Reacquainted with the sound of the Pacific Ocean,
the timing of a wave
The randomness of its swell and crash
It resets my awareness of time,
about the seeming permanence
of the impression of my foot
in the cold February sand,
how quickly it’s gone
How slowly the effervescent froth of waves
resembles sugary scum at the top of a rootbeer float
And creeps up to my toes
Like champagne bubbles seeping into my brain.
The icy chill that alerts my ankles
Makes me feel like a child again
I pull back teasingly holding back giggles
I remember again how cool the February sand feels under my feet,
And how I never resist the temptation
To pick up a perfect shell and slip it in my pocket,
for a reason that never comes.