How many times have we been on this beach?

After all these years it still has something to teach 

Like a loyal friend, it’s always been here for me 

I love it most in winter, in December 

Just before Christmas 

No one else is there 

Just me and my pup

The whole place glistens

We went today after work when I couldn’t look at the screens any longer 

We were instantly welcomed by the dunes and the water 

Just before sunset, we walked as far as we could 

Upon arrival, I spotted the dolphin fins 

My pup wanted to get in

But I told him it was too cold 

That sky over the water is God’s canvas

Pale blue to soft yellow streaks to faint purple then pink 

I can’t tell if the water is green or blue 

I guess it’s a mixture of the two

The small crashing waves somehow take all my anxiety away

They crumble into the purest white suds 

Then fizzle out 

Akin to what I think our lives are about 

I stared at the sand pipers 

And you know, the seagulls are fighters 

I wonder if those birds worry 

It’s neat to watch them scurry 

The dune grass is side swept 

I wonder all the secrets this beach has kept

My dreams are like the barges 

Moving out to sea 

Like time marches 

There’s no music in the winter 

There’s no friends throwing frisbees 

I wonder if any of them miss me 

Who will I walk with when my pup goes to heaven?

I took in the moment 

I watched him trot on the sand 

He’s turning white like the sea foam 

I pray I don’t die alone 

All the beach condos and cabanas are nestled firmly on the shoreline 

Every step I take is another second of time 

We’re encapsulated in a bluish-purple mural 

I pray the stretch of sand we’re on is eternal 

It’s beautiful 

And in the moment, my spirit’s full

We love this beach

I hug my pup and the coast takes us up

We’ll never leave