I stood by the edge, still and quiet, Through the whirl of waves and rain, Where the sea whispered sweetly, Secrets hidden, gently flicked away, Drifting both in longing and loss. My fingers brushed the wet sand, Whispers of time through the tide’s breath, Where the shoreline meets quiet depths, Holding me steady amid the storm. I became one with the swell, With the tears of clouds overhead, And learned that nature holds us close, In all her wildness and grace.

• Anne Sexton