Red tide –
I saw you in dreaming
Across an old peach-hued ocean,
Splashed in the crimson
Of a hopeful sunset sky;
Shells and pebbles in golden glitter
In time with waves a‑whispering
A delicate breeze wraps me round
And carries me back to ecstasy;
The waters stand just warm enough
To be truly inviting and free
They don’t feel tatters of pain
Nor tomorrow’s coming tides;
Found objects so strange I see
As I make the journey forwards
You can take a few now with you,
And then you’ll see them fade to air;
A paintbrush’s hopeful fare and share
Can never hide what truths bequeath
Can never mend the sorrowful roads
Will never right the hurt that’s done
And now I wake from dreams to see this –
Perhaps the best partings
are done at such times as
There’s still something
beautiful to remember.
At least, this was.