"They Are in the Water"

They are in the water and then out.  

They are coiled like springs in the sand.

Something in the approaching wave catches their eye,

and they uncoil, hurtling themselves into the breaking wave.

The board driven by the boy collides with the wave,

sending them both into the air in a rhythmic dance.

~ Mark Koepke

Mark wrote the 50-word story above to describe a scene we happened upon as we left the beach Friday evening.  We had stayed longer than usual following the sunset, talking, sharing feelings, embracing.  I had described the scene in my journal:

"I sat there on the beach, the sun setting, crying into his shoulder, not for the first time.  As the gloaming deepened and the shadows grew longer, then enveloped all, I shared my fears and my frustrations with him.  He responded - as always - with love, patience and kindness.  Finally, we got up, packed up our things and began the trek back to the parking lot.  As we came to the top of the spit, we could see a group of Hawaiian boys boogie-boarding in the surf.  It was a moment of charm and innocence."

I tried to capture the scene with my camera, but Mark has done a far better job, in less than 50 words, of describing the essence of the moment.