By the sea

The beach always held miracles. One by one, two by two, group by group, they all walked along its shore. Articles were taken out, shoes untied, arms were flailed, and legs kicked off to the pound of the waves. The air could be cold, lashing out with vengeance from passing through lands of snow or it could be warm, silently caressing every crevice of the cliffs, every man, every grain of sand.

There was nothing to be found really, at least nothing material. But what made them come back was the peace they got that could never be found in the cemented sidewalks outside shelters called home.

This was also home. It was where memories can be found though rare. It may be some shirt, underwear or a bottle with letter tightly stoppered. And memories were also made - a peck on the cheek, a flick of the tongue, or the twisting of yearning flesh, the very thing that can possibly happen right now.

They were there, just there, in the silence of their voices, amidst the quick and deafening roars of the sea. Each heart was beating as fast and about to burst from keeping too much in. There simply was too much at stake. One wrong move and the other may back down, guilt infused in the night.

He starts to move. Just a shiver then a little flex of lightly muscled arms, putting them over his head. He looks her way, noting the expression on her face. She was no more panicked with the situation. A quiet calm has settled over her as the wind blew up her hair, jet black against the deep blue of the sky.

Her face is impassive, not wanting to give away, also waiting. He knows that she knows he was observing her just through the corners of his eyes. He was testing her, see how long she will last under his gaze. She doesn't give, quite some willpower, a real feat.

He sighs, looking towards the horizon, perpendicular to the heavens. Then and there, the two were the same with only a thin line dividing them. The clouds were low, like the ripples of the desert, with the light touches of orange and pink. The moon was up, quietly contemplating whether or not it should push the sun out. The latter was biding its time, throwing lengthy rays of pale light across the land and sea. It reflects on her face, on her dark eyes.

What could she be thinking, he wonders. She was always thinking usually when there was nothing else to do. He wanted to snap her out of her trance but decided against it. He didn't know what to do.

A twitch of the thumb, a blink of an eye, and then a hand was raised to reach for the other. So soft, and so smooth, like a baby's. It began with the gentlest of touches, a raised index finger, seeking for a palm. Slowly it would its way to wrap itself, securing another's hold. It stayed just like that. And he couldn't be any happier to be saved from having to make the first move.

---

I am safe

He doesn't know what I'm thinking

His eyes dart from place to place

Probably looking for an opening

I can feel he's nervous

Shivering from the wind

The sun was dropping

And the moon waiting for an end

I can just walk away

Leave him there alone

But somehow I wait

Not wanting to let go

I touch his cold hand

Uncertainty in his eyes

I look back quietly say,

Let's never say goodbye.

---

Day after day they walk along the shore, basking in the ironic glory of the setting sun. Holding hands they walk, love in their eyes. There were no long promises, just the simple ones like getting there on time. They kept to themselves not wanting others butting in.

He was still amazed at how little things could be so amusing. Gone were the days he longed for luxury. Pleasure was her and he rarely asked for anything else. Days went by slowly and problems never seemed to last.

He kisses her, wrapped in a warm embrace. They didn't need to hold back for everything was as heavenly as it was. There was no need for so much intimacy, holding hands often was enough.

Breaking from the kiss, they look into each other's eyes, both smiling, refreshed, and content with the world. He whispers into her ear and she whispers back. Both laugh, little chuckles of satisfaction, and they sit on the sand, side by side, arms around.

Like always, the sun sets, and the moon still waits. The wind keep blowing, at times hard, but also with times when it was soft. The waves splash their feet, and the sand slips through, showing some shells buried down. The sky gets dark, the clouds of different hues. They look towards the horizon, right next to the heavens, each in its own wishing, wanting it never to end.

---

- kolejante, yours truly.