4 billion years ago

In the beginning, there were none.

There was no one to see the shoreline.

No one saw the waves that lapped and licked the rocks.

No one saw the sand untouched,

It was pristine and smooth with no wrinkles of imperfections.

No one saw the reeds bending to the salty wind,

Graceful and in sync with the chill air.

75 years ago

A little girl runs in the sand, laughing.

There are millions of footprints embedded in the fine grains.

She is having fun, there are floaties, cake, and balloons.

The guests have left by now, the shoreline now empty,

But the little girl wants to go underwater again,

Feel the cool drops and see the blurry bubbles float around her.

Most of all, she believes she’s a mermaid.

Her mother shakes her head, it’s now dusk— They arrived in the afternoon.

But with a sigh, she lets the girl dive for the last time.

65 years ago

A young teen sits and stares into the sunset.

She is alone with her thoughts as company.

The teen likes the solitude, rather than the noise of TV, gossip, and boring class lectures.

She is unsure how to feel calm in this busy world,

But as the water tickles her feet,

She reminds herself that she can be like water,

Ever-flowing, ever-changing,

Able to graze the sand at all times.

45 years ago

There was no one to see the shoreline 

Because there was no shoreline.

There was no fine sand to run in,

No turquoise waters to jump in,

And no briny breeze to breathe in.

Instead, there were bottles and bags cluttered around,

Algae and mud sloshing around,

And a terrible smell that hung around.

Everyone fears the shoreline is dead,

That ignorance destroyed it.

Present day

An old woman sits in a beach chair and stares into the night.

She’s glad there’s no one around at this hour,

There are so many cameras and tourists, hotels and restaurants.

It took many years to clean up the shoreline, there’s less water than ever before,

But the sun is still here, painting the sky’s masterpieces, day and night,

And there are people who want to experience the water.

The old woman is glad the shoreline is alive.

She loves the mischievous waves,

The solace the ocean’s breath provides,

And the beauty it holds.

With a sigh, she steps into the water for the last time.

It won’t be long before dawn breaks and the morning walkers come by.