I drew a circle in the sand
and placed everything I know within.
I turned my back
and walked away
as the abyss swallowed it all.

I drew a face in the sand,
but who it was I couldn’t tell.
I etched a name beside it, too.
but I’d forgotten how to read.
When the tide rose,
like a tickle up the spine,
the water washed away
the passing stranger
and left a blankness;
total and shapeless.

I traced my face in the wet sand,
felt my bones with my other hand,
scraped at the edges until it was perfect,
and as I stared, our eyes met and
we both smiled.

Editor: Shannon Hensley