THE SHELL
They walk along the beach
Hand in hand
He wears a soldier’s uniform
Her glossy hair catches the ocean’s light
The sky arcs over them
A blue bowl
From which the sun strikes down
On the rolling sea
Firing splinters of brilliant light into eyes
Already blinded by love
He searches the pale sand exhaling beneath their feet
A gift for her who leans into him
And gives him the comfort
Of her warm, round body
Something the sea has given up
Tucked by a finger of ocean
Under a sentinel of rock
A whorled shell
Twined around peach colored pearl
Like an innocent dawn
A hungry ear listening for the pulse of life
He draws it out
Hands it to her
Watches her face break open in a smile
So sweet and warm and full of expectation
It stops his breath
She presses the shell to her ear
Where his fingers have recently brushed
But instead of the hushing sea
She hears an echo of distant voices
Remember me.
They walk on down the beach
Hand in hand
She carries the shell
Innocent as the dawn, hungry for the pulse of life
And the sea murmurs around them
Remember me.
Copyright 2007 Roisin Moriarty All rights reserved.
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