The temporary mark
written across the sand
fighting the crawling waves,
pulling and reaching 
with each hungry grasp. 
Endemically eroded away,
the shoreline begs
for someone to scrawl
their name or 
some gigantic heart
claiming the day
to be exclusively theirs. 
The familiar sounds,
the surf crashes and 
it’s almost too cold 
to actually go play. 
Promise you’ll ignore 
the undertow
and go for a swim. 
Cut through the surface
dive under each wave. 
Lay on your pillow
floating weightless 
adrift in a different way
contrast the sunset
way out there
our tiny little dot. 
The news came today 
you’re lost at sea. 
The girl we once knew
probably fought 
against every rogue wave. 
It’s hard to imagine
why anyone
would go out swimming
especially when 
the beaches had been 
closed due to storm. 
Why would anyone
trust that water?
Especially when
everyone she’s ever known
has drowned 
under the weight
of that heavy surf. 
I stand here 
on the shore
too cautious 
to get too close. 
I’ll put these words
carefully on paper
and throw them out
in that angry sea. 
I hope the girl
is out there,
somewhere,
and gets this
message in a bottle.