Tidepools

Coffee on her nightstand Mom whispers my name She says we should go right now No one else awake Reaching for my swim trunks Feel them cool and damp Sliding on my new flip flops Crusted salt and sand Palm trees on the freeway Silhouettes at dawn Blue-gray backdrop, ocean dark Headlights in the fog Wind caught in our t-shirts Thousand steps to go Sea salt on my nose and cheeks She says she is home Sea salt on my nose and cheeks She says she is home Barefoot over bedrock Tidepools on the strand Mom is right beside me now Holding out her hand Seashells in my pocket Center of my life I will come to know the world One piece at a time