Mermaids' Coins

Ripples of tawny wet sand lace my soles Leaving imprints of my journey A warm breeze carries a briny aroma tickling my nose Blonde heads whip and whirl bubbling with excitement Leaving tiny footprints depressed in sand Mermaids' coins sprinkle the ocean floor We gather them like fallen stars Hundreds of tiny hairs in rhythmic choreography dance in my palm Placing it with the care of a newborn into outstretched hands She stoops whispering the coin into the seabed A chorus of shrieks and caws carry in the wind A sheet of silk blue overhead Fiver-Fingered sand stars limn their swarthy canvas Armored stalk eyes skitter past Arching down I unearth A spiraling limestone fortress Planting it back in the sand for nomads to find Gently treading back to shore Settling into the warm cushions of sand Caressing the shoreline's gritty flowing dust Watching it drift into the breeze Exhausted warm bodies press against me Silky golden threads dance through my fingers As we watch the watermelon sun kiss the sea