On The Beach

That’s right:
preserve this future memory
of your little girl
with a little buoy.

Soon the tide will come in
and the buoy
will be out of reach.

Your daughter
will stretch out her hands
still wanting to touch it…

and you will picture her
hurtling towards adulthood,
so fast, so fast…

See –
she’s already in the water,
drifting away from you.

You’re still on the beach,
waving to her,
and she’s waving back.

Now she’s become a strong swimmer
and she’s racing
towards a distant shore.

It’s exciting for her.

She rides the waves.
She meets a boy.
Hello…

You watch her go.


Daughter