Sand

by Hannah Koeller
You brought me sand from
Santiago, and then you
disappeared. Once I held
you close to me, a seashell
in my hands. If you make me let
go now, well shatter everywhere.
With hope and sand, we built
our castle tall. Gravity, autumn
nights in Larson Park, and double
fudge brownie ice cream. You put
your arms around me, and your
warmth feels like the sun.
Hand in hand under the stars,
the tide of our silence ebbed. My
seashell drifted with the waves,
but caught up in the sand. I reach
with wrinkled hands to pull
you back to shore.
The waves crashed down, washed
our castles away. I got sucked underwater,
you made it to the shore. Choking for
breath, I broke the surface to find my
seashell lost. The sand sticks to
my skin, the memories I cant shake.