Michele Thomas

Silver ribbons have replaced the daylight whitecaps,
Threads of metallic looking waves slowly turn to foam.
A color that escapes me takes over the water.
What was greenish blue has turned to bluish black.

The swelling of the moon gives me glimpses of the water before me.
Its vast expanse humbles me of how small and insignificant I really am.
Being swallowed up by the midnight sky and endless water,
The aloneness reminds me of times gone by on this beautiful coast.

Sun soaked days of coconut lotion and aloe fill my nose.
Toy sand shovels left behind from the day’s activities litter the beach.
A child watches from the window of his hotel room, staring at his creation.
Ripple after ripple of small waves has claimed his bastion made of sand.

My face, cooled by the breath of the ocean, still stings from the sun’s intensity of the day.
Memories of summer family vacations on this very shore,
Flood me with emotion of days gone by.
Still I hear the laughter and the tears of seaside holidays.

Fair skinned boys delighted in the salt water seas and the pool.
Careful not to burn, naps and rest became an inside must.
First splashes, first surfing, first meals of luscious seafood
Times that mothers carry deep in their hearts.

Moonlit nights were times for long walks on the cool sand
Armed with flashlights and nets the little guys would search for treasure.
Sand crabs, and tiny fish were caught for observation,
Released back to their homes to live, shells were kept as precious spoils, gifts from the ocean.

Tears well up in my eyes as I sift through the mind visions of the past.
They have come and gone with each surfacing wave.
A piece of my heart is left on a small spot of an enormous coastline.
The sounds of laughing little boys running on the beach are muted by the years.

A strong but gentle hand slips into mine silently.
The father of this family knows my heart.
He hugs me warmly as his thoughts marry mine
He kisses my hair softly and tenderly.

Distant laughter interrupts our moment in time.
An arm comes around my shoulder, another around my waist.
Lips kiss the side of my head and silence is ours.
Another tear appears again, but it is one of happiness.

I turn slowly to see faces of my heart, my spirit explodes.
Our boys who gathered at my knees are now the ones looking down at me.
“Hi Mom”, they speak in unison with the same impish smiles.
I am blessed that memories can still be made at the ocean shore.

Perhaps I am not as insignificant as I once thought.