The sand is white like
shattered diamonds
swept by the wind from
the distant Aegean shores
The water is a deep turquoise
fading to aquamarine
swelling and crashing
beneath the setting sun
I walk barefoot into the warm gulf water like some creature returning to a primordial sea
Breathing in the salty air and hesitant to plunge below
Toes curl in the viscous silt
Trying to dig below the earth
Seeking an energy
A harmonious rhythm
Hidden so deep below the crust
I’m not sure it even exists
The water laps at my ankles
As the sun continues its descent
Lighting the ocean on fire
Burning pink
Orange
Spreading over the horizon
I
Close
My eyes
Breathe in
The earth burns but
I am
Not ash