Sand Dollars

I saw her form far off

Flutter shirttails and flop sun hat

We both walked along the ocean shore early

Alone with only my thoughts a long time now

I let my fancy flow

And I imagined I’d fall in love with her

That she was in the real estate game

Or better, that she had property she was looking to unload after her divorce

That we’d fix up the land and set up house

As I approached her

I noticed she was meandering my way

I smiled encouragingly

Good morning, she greeted

Good morning, I agreed

She carried a basket and I asked if she had found anything good

Sand dollars she said with a smile

I’ve seen a few, but all of them broken

Come back at 11:32

11:32 – so precise?

11:32

We said our goodbyes

Each of us walking in different directions

I returned to the hotel to begin my work

At 11:30, instinctively I broke from the computer, remembering her invitation

I masked up, put on hat and sunglasses and drove the truck onto the sand

11:32

Low tide

Gathering time for expectant gulls and savvy beachcombers

I walked the wet line where the water receded from the shore

Avoiding jellyfishes and dead crabs, broken oyster shells

Stepping between odd human debris

Bits of bonfire garbage and broken buckets

And then gleaming, shiny in the shallow water

An imperfect dark circle with God’s geometric mark

I harvested five more perfect sand dollars

Holding each one tenderly in my swinging hand

It was crucial I did not let the stars return to sand

Careful not to crush, I cradled the thin shells

It occurred to me that my heart was a lot like these sand dollars

I hoped to see her all that day

Strained to see the female form materialize from the mist

I long to meet the woman again

To present her with meager gifts

A handful of thin sand dollars

and one slightly sandy heart

---

David Rheins

Ocean Shores, WA

September 2020