(Moss Cove, Pt. Lobos State Natural Reserve)

After decades of relishing
the feel of soft sand
caressing my toes,

pebbled shorelines
have become my favorite
beaches. I appreciate

the great work over eons
of the sea pulverizing rock
and coral into fine silica,

but how I marvel at geology
in action as I walk over
wave-tossed rocks sculpted

into an infinite number of
geometric shapes, like
the perfect egg-like specimen

today, its weight a solid
promise in my palm.
Nearby, etched in sandstone,

I see the ghost of a heart,
And, not ten steps away,
another heart locked

in solidified sand—
love, embedded
by forces of nature

so great it cannot
be moved or washed
away, even when

the tide rises, even
when we foolishly
imagine that it has

disappeared.