The Wave

Patricia Craigen

Silhouetted against the pre-dawn sky, she haunts the sand. When she reaches out, the ocean responds, caressing her as she moves into its touch. She bows her head, chin to chest. Her arms fall to her sides as she sinks to her knees, one motion.

I watch, brittle and expectant.

And then she rises, effortless, lifted by light. Her body finds a tidal rhythm as she dances with early morning breezes.

I wait for her to turn, to see me.

As the first sun of the new year breaks the surface of the ocean, she turns and waves. I step forward, then stumble, startled by shattering shells beneath my feet.

When I look up, she is waltzing down the beach, her footprints washing away in the outgoing tide.

Copyright ©1999 Patricia Craigen. All Rights Reserved.

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November, 1999 Issue #43

128 Words

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