Seaweed

by

Laura Eno

I remember the day you came into my life, wearing nothing but water and a smile. I blushed as I handed you my towel, there on the shoreline. I'd been lying in the sand, dreaming of the perfect man and there you stood. How foolish to think my desire would just walk into my life. To be fair, you often told me you could not stay even as you stole my heart. The months passed and I began to believe otherwise. You seemed to have a fondness for me; you tried to blend into my life and surroundings. One morning I awoke to an empty space, both of hearth and heart. I ran to the shoreline, the place where we first met. Your shoes sat in the sand, the only goodbye you could give me. I sometimes sit there next to those shoes, staring out to sea. At sunset, I think I see you skimming the water at horizon's edge. At other times, it's your laugh that floats along the breeze. No matter how long I keep vigil, you never come back. This lone reminder mocks me of unrequited love. If I walk out to greet you, will I become a Selkie too? Or will I perish in the depths, lost forever, my life over with no one to mourn me? It matters not, I think, for I've made my decision. I place my own shoes next to yours and walk out to join you.