Of Boys and Men

after these

shoreline days and

coastal nights

i better understand

why the moon

in its diurnal

nocturnal pull

removes the surface

of the rough and turbulent

ocean draws away

the foaming waters

to reveal the ebb

of untamed power

smooth sands

tidal pools

sea stars and urchins

purple mollusks

and dancing schools

of the shiniest

tiny silver fish

sobriquet

for feminine touch

washing away brine

currents froth

to expose

the hidden anchors

the nameless treasurers

left by the last

incoming tide

a pulse of

unexpected life

beneath what's

underneath the sky

wanderers lost

in their windbreakers

with their blowing

tangled hair discover

in the smooth mud

of the salt flats

a broken shell

or polished stone

as a reply to the question

whispering in their hearts

to carry home

in a pocket

before the return

of the fierce rising sea