Beach

We dug a hole in the sand,
Sixteen inches in diameter,
Two feet deep
Approximately.
My bathing suit was red.
I made you go to the edge of the water
And fill the bucket.
You were afraid of the fish eggs,
But I had to be brave
So I brushed them out of the way
And ignored thoughts of seaweed
Monsters pulling my legs.

We swam to the dock,
A wooden raft with a ladder
Covered in algae.
I taught you to cartwheel into the water.

I loved combing sand
From my hair. I secretly loved
Finding it in my teeth.
When we rode home in the car,
Damp towels dampening seat covers,
I felt that feeling I still
Can’t describe, from my scalp down
Through my spine into my stomach,
An exhaustion that reminded me
Of raspberries
And watching you swim laps in the pool.