Shy and shielding the sun through cotton candy clouds musically smell my skin. Beholding heaven, I remember how trembling we explored our wedding ground in this land of arctic terns. Childlike, I embrace stolen moments of youth I never had. Briny mist captivated my racing heart as I lay with you and licked the salt off your chest. Standing firm, sun and sand are bleaching your face like a white knight—wood groaning like a weathered garden glove with worn rawhide. Our bodies, one – yellow beach grass lashes near us in woolen blankets, creating an endless wave that shimmers as the sun dips low in the horizon, like an old friend.

Joni’s blog is Rum and Robots, where she has published poetry, photography, and short stories. Take a look at Joni’s work in Spillwords Press NYC, Vita Brevis Press, The Finest Example, The Tiny Seed Literary Journal, I Write…