104

as I age, I discover
all the things I’ve lost
by not appreciating them
for me, life has been
a sea of voices
tidal waves telling me
what to do and
how to do it well

I’ve learned to seek answers on my own
and carve my own paths in the sand
(even if they are dead ends)

today, I sat on the lake’s shore
and watched people carry on their lives
to their jobs on Mondays
or their dreams on crescent moons
I wonder if I’ve ever dreamt the very same ones

The water crashes in
rinses the footprints clean
the sandcastles get rebuilt in the rubble
and I can’t stop thinking about
how life is like a shell,
echoing our heartbeat back to us
reminding just how alive we are
and I ache, realizing both that
life is so beautiful and life is so short