Unforgotten

He sits alone while waves surround his feet
And gulls in flight incite his mind to wake.
The sand gives way to water in retreat,
Awakening the echoes of his ache.

It has been years since he last saw her face,
And yet he still recalls her graceful form.
He can't let go of days in her embrace,
For deep within remains a latent storm.

Her images caress his pleading mind,
But there remains a truth he can't deny.
The answer that he seeks, he fails to find;
In endless whispers, he keeps asking, “Why?”

The sleepy sun begins to close its eye
Just as he feels the storm inside him stir.
With trembling lips, he tries to say goodbye,
But only has the strength for words to slur.

He scrawls her name atop the dampened sand
And sees her striking beauty once again.
A wave stretches out a sodden hand,
Then carries her away—but not the pain.