Desperately semaphoring
from the shore I wave & call
your name Samuel
stomp like a lunatic
down the beach
tromple striped beach
towels & children’s shovels
kick over plastic buckets
crush elaborate sandcastles
people stare
not sure if they should look
away or dial 911
your ship just disappeared
my love
the horizon blank after
god’s indifferent swipe
seawater clogs your lungs
rockweed tangles your hair
I crumple to the beach
sand shimmers
in sun without mercy
silence splays time
now only an unread sports page
listless on the counter
one chipped cup of morning tea
now only leaden days
& restive nights
unswept floors, unopened books
please send souvenirs
from the future
a sky-pewter shell or the bones of a sunfish
so I can find you in the scent of the sea
