The Sea

It is with an ease that I tiptoe the lip of the sea,

digging my toes into the sand as her surf engulfs my feet.
A calmness is evident, that suits the feel of her water,
the blue of the sky,
the gentle whisper of her waves as they swallow the shoreline.
Elegantly,
I plan my approach,
sauntering deeper into her brackish waves
and finally,
as she hugs my waist, I dive in,
graceful,
like a dancer’s leap, like a snake shedding skin and I am set free as
she cradles me and urges me to let go.
To succumb to the unceasing sway of her tide
and become one with it.
With urgency,
I twist and fumble into the deep,
the skin on my back warm in the luminous glow of the setting sun.
Each stroke is planned brilliantly,
as I duck my head beneath her surface,
strategically turning as I resurface and drink new oxygen into my thirsty lungs.
My arms reaching up and out,
up and out,
pulling me as I find my flight and take hold of it.
And I cannot help but think,
that I will never love anything like this.
No one will ever hold me like this.
No one will ever understand my perpetual desire to say a thousand words without speaking.
But the sea knows.
In a few moments, when I emerge light on my feet,
wet and glistening,
I remain at her edge,
allowing the water to lap at my feet and pull at my ankles,
and I inhale the essence of her.
And as the last rays of summer sun sink below the horizon,
I bid a silent farewell,
and trudge through the golden sand,
taking her with me as I go.