a quiet shore -

a turn in the current memory, you, swirled and swallowed by the eddies of moments passing once, I was the reef you broke yourself upon hopes and loves and passions washed ashore to settle in the sands of "mine" your intents gifted to birth my purpose sculpted like castles from our soft particulate ideas crumbled by your indecision and need into a smooth wash of reality tepid grains of sadness that I dug my toes into wriggling, deep, the melancholy warmth the coverlet of loss I wrapped around my bones and gave my meanderings to, pure simple, dark, comfortable you never looked back, not once I ... am still looking. I see you ... again, eons later lives and worlds and universes later suffering, in the midst of pain that won't relinquish a husband and happy family, children home, career, and all you'd wished for ... then, (with me) and none of it can ease your torment. despite all the storms that battered our union in deference to all the torn edges and hearts rent in the face of the ragged surf that once drown us both and pulled us into the briny abyss ... despite it ALL ... I will ALWAYS be here the distant shores you crashed yourself against now, the soft, warm beach you can always drift to the castles, ruined, that now offer rest and unquestioned peace the smooth sea sand that waits without judgement to lay your cares upon ... to cry, release, heal, attend, dream ... or simply ... breathe. ~ 2nd Place ~ in the "Distant Shores" Poetry Contest, Robert Haigh, Sponsor. ~ 1st Place ~ in the "Together We Are Strong" Poetry Contest, Silent One, Sponsor. ~ Honorable Mention ~ in the "Strand Pick 10, Any Theme, Any Form" Poetry Contest, Brian Strand, Judge & Sponsor.