The Day by the Sea

Morning comes without announcement.

Light touches the rocks first,
then the water.
Nothing changes quickly.

The shore is empty.
A few marks in the sand
from where someone walked earlier.

You stand there longer than you planned to.
Not thinking much.
Just waiting for the day to take shape.

By noon the heat has settled in.
There is no wind.

The water looks fixed in place,
but it isn’t.
Small movements continue
whether you watch or not.

A boat passes far out.
You follow it for a while,
then lose interest.

There is nowhere else to go.

In the afternoon
the light begins to loosen.

Shadows return to the rocks.
The color of the sea changes
without drawing attention to itself.

People come down to the shore now.
Voices, then quiet again.

You sit.

Evening does not arrive all at once.
It gathers.

The heat leaves slowly.
You notice your body again.

Somewhere behind you
a door closes.
A light turns on.

The water darkens.
Not completely.
Just enough.

You stay until it is no longer clear
what you are looking at.

Night is simple.

The horizon disappears.
The sea and sky are the same.

There is less to see,
but you keep looking.

Nothing has been revealed.

Still,
you do not feel the need
to leave.