Today the bubble-crested wave returned
Washing ashore to cover me from head to feet
Came to flash its salty scales sunburned
Or leave its watermark on fever-hot concrete
The sheepskin foam has crinkled soft and low
Crushing salt crystals in sweet taffy warmth
I see the sun from gold-capped hills rise slow
And darkling sit on auburn pebbles in my mirth
Looking for my childhood pink-bubble balloon
To glimpse it peeking from behind the clouds
To watch it roll on sand beneath the leaden moon
And write down my blue dreams on its smooth shroud
Longing to blend with the quiet lonesome wave
Longing to sink my feet in reddish sand
Aching to stop time’s flow in glass concave
Or join hands with friends at journey’s end
I want to enjoy the sunlight cherry-warm
To watch my ghost return from moonlight haunts
I want to sit and wait for my life’s page to turn
To chase my shadow beside run-down restaurants
I want to buy my lottery ticket unafraid to lose
Ready to bet on chance and pitch my winnings
I long to sit outside and listen to the blues
Or wait for dreams to start at life’s beginnings
Today the bubbling wave returned
It washed me over in its pickled splendor
Promising dreams intense, untamed, unformed
I hold my breath… delighted I surrender