The Ocean Calls to Me

By: Brooke Robbins

The ocean calls to me– 

tells me to come closer  

and let my thoughts be free 

if even just for a moment.  

The sand shifts under my feet 

and the grains stick to my skin 

the closer I get, focused only 

on the pull of the water ahead.  

The waves lap at my ankles,  

greeting me like an old friend.  

And the wind picks up,  

enveloping me in its embrace. 

So I let all my worries 

creep in like the tide  

as tears drip down my cheeks,  

salt mixing with salt at my feet.  

The ocean does not comfort 

or say that all will be okay.  

It merely listens and it holds, 

easing the pain of being alone. 

It gives me the time I need.  

No rushing, no pushing away.  

And once I’m done, I feel better 

as the waves guide me back. 

But the evidence still remains: 

the hem of my dress stiff with sea salt 

my cheeks pink from the tracks of tears 

my hair tangled from the ocean breeze.  

And so I return home,  

with all my reminders of being 

cherished and cared for, 

until I’m called back again.