Trails We Leave

In our lives we each leave our trails.

Some blaze the way for others;

others still barely leave a broken

twig or a footprint in sand. Everyone

knows the resilience of sand, able to

heal itself from intruders as if it has

never been encroached upon at all.

It freely receives the cleansing wash

of surf to remain pristine. You recall

that heart you drew for your lover

on the beach the other day? It has

since been erased, washed away as

if it never happened, leaving not a

trace that you and your lover were

ever there, expressing your innermost

desires. Sand on the beach remains

swept clean at the ready to receive

new lovers such as you. This ensures

that one generation will follow

another—trails and expressed

desires rekindled anew each day.

And then, there had to be the joker

who thought he’d be clever, etching

some obscene words in an attempt to

impress his friends. Who on land or

at sea with an ounce of decency would

want to follow his lead? There are

reasons beyond our imaginings why

the beach is frequently swept clean.

Chris Hanch 3-16-18