salt water; a broken promise

Bitter coffee and sandollars

I think she just might love me

And we dance on warm water and

Drink sweet sodas in broad daylight

My father is dying, but life goes on

She explains that there is a light at the end of every tunnel

I think she is mine

My mother won’t speak to me, but I have always been a loner

Until her

Pigtails and valentines candy

The children dip toes into clear water

Life goes on

We live another day

In the land of lavendar petals and everlasting sun

It is the only time I forget how to run

She brushes my hair by candlelight and

The world disappears

She breathes like ocean tides

The rhythm lulls me to sleep in the heat where we lay, our hands clasped together

Forever

The salt water stains your skin

And I twist ragged twine into bracelets

You tell me the ocean tends to stick with you

Even when it’s gone

Especially when it leaves without goodbye

Tangled sheets and a tattered length of rope are all you leave me

In the double bed we shared

The salt washes away and the memories fade

And even then

I like to think you still cared