The Beach

Once upon a time
There was a man
Who loved to go to the beach
Not just any old beach
But a perfect stretch of sand
That seemed precisely suited
To his every need
He loved how the warmth
Of the sun and the sand
Eased the weariness from his soul
How the sound of the surf seemed
To be so peaceful and calming
Even when the tempest raged
He loved this stretch of beach
Its varied faces and moods
Always enticed and welcomed him
The beach belonged not to him
No beach belongs to a person
But as he whiled the hours away
He felt that it became a part of him
And that he left a bit of his soul
In the warm sand of the beach
Until one day the man was told
That he had to move on
That the beach would no longer welcome him
And that he had to move on
So he set out in a kayak
Alone on the vast and turbulent sea
He would turn back from time to time
And gaze at the beach he loved
His heart breaking
When he saw others enjoying what he'd known
That peace and warmth
That soul comforting calm
And gradually the horizon
Swallowed up that stretch of beach
And it was lost to him
Forever

The end