Moment Ashore

he sat on driftwood wriggling his bare toes into the cooling sand the moon was gold and warm a lemon lollipop resting on the reach sugary ... tart, (like her kiss) summer's promise was spread before him - mysterious and magical dark bay sparkling like a puddle of pearls with a big canary diamond dangling on its bosom lights of the town on the opposite shore, dancing (as she once danced) stirring something deep within his gut like the moon on the water or a thunderstorm, rumbling something about them made him feel ... immortal as if his worries were no more than thistles on the breeze a flood of youth and promise and HER all coming at once, surging his marrow the hopes he felt then, swirling inexorably with the bitterness and longing he knew now of worlds left unconquered ... oh, the numberless oaths taken and given ... and gone those heartfelt promises of a full life together sworn for all time, and meant as just that - pure ... solemn ... unbreakable as sacred as a child's prayer now, drown by the black oblivion of time as dark and deep as the bay those words they had both spoken so many times - words of commitment and love and intent as precious as any that came before ... or since yet now, as distant as the stars themselves and his empty heart, as cold as the great expanse ... that held them.