leeches, barnacles and a thick coat of gull shit across every wooden plank

i was an island just withing view of the shore, but no matter how i strained there was no way i could touch the land across the azure waves

let’s begin at the beginning instead of sitting at the end of the tale that has an unfortunate middle that stretches like the horizon

a caravan of sea life in the bleached coral of the dying wishes like so many stars left to fall with soft plops into the ocean in the distance

daydreaming of a jetty that could bring the mainland within grasp

daydreaming of crumbling into the bay to sink to the bottom with the rest of the junk left to rust out without a second thought

close your eyes and imagine sunlight kisses and listless moonbeams playing across the the shimmering forms of mermaids resting on jutting rocks to lure sailors to a watery end

pretend you are a jetty eagerly offering your hand to the island to make it whole, grasping softly to tear stained cheeks to wipe away the day

leeches, barnacles and gull shit thickly coat the broken shore line staring wistfully out towards the sheltering land across the azure waves