we're only real in the ephemeral prints we leave behind

I put my feet in the ocean  
and for a moment it feels  
like freedom  
the foamy waves washing away
my momentary troubles
 
It's a rare moment  
where I can just be  
in this open space
of wind and salt and sand  
cold water  
and washed up sea shells
 
I collect them  
some beautiful  
some broken  
some both  
and it feels like history
and life in my hands  
the past, present  
and future in one moment  
it feels like a metaphor for life
though maybe the air
is making me feeling  
existentially peaceful  
 
Because I'll forget the shells
are in my bag when I get home
and the wind that rushed through me
will feel like a distant memory
the ocean waves a dream  
the clear blue sky a snap shot
I can't hold in my mind for long enough  
 
I put my feet in the ocean  
and for a moment it feels  
like freedom
 
I wish it could last forever  
 
© Indie Adams 2022