The older man walks slowly down
the beach, each foot carefully placed
to find a purchase the waves would take away.
He shields his eyes from the sun, ignores
the myriad shells the ocean offers up,
does not bother to hear the song of the waves
that soon will erase all evidence
of his presence here today.
He walks along this beach because
others have said that is what you do
if you come to the ocean, for you
are a visitor and must obey
the commands of the ever silent sea.