gifts from the sea

I walked along
empty shores,
hands tied
to the seams
of my dress,
with a fist,
not a touch,
until the salt
sanded
my tender skin,
and the wind
rushed in
to uncover
what I could not feel
beneath,
and then,
as the waves
kissed my toes,
I walked in a tatter,
seams ripped apart,
a naked form
making love
to wind and water,
and little hands
reaching out
to collect
gifts from the sea -
a handful of dreams
and friends,
hand-picked,
and clutched
in salted palms,
that have something
more precious now,
to cherish
and hold.