The Girl and the Ocean - March 17, 2011

as she gently walks into the ocean, she feels the sand rushing through her toes, almost as if it had somewhere to go.
she feels the millions of particles colliding so slightly together she will never know they existed.
she feels the tide's attempt to claim her, as the ocean pulls at her feet.
sand covers her beautiul body, every curve, every crevise.
she waits patiently for the waves to reach her so she can wash the sand from her hands.
but it seems like the ocean is taunting her, pulling back the waves as she reaches down.
challenging her to walk further into his waiting arms.
happily, she accepts his challenge and walks further into the unknown, leaving the world she knows behind.
with each step she takes the ocean's pull grows on her, grasping at her legs, screaming and tugging trying to claim her life.
she drags her fingertips across the surface, taunting the ocean, challenging the ocean to pull harder.
the water now rises above her waist, sending shivers down her neck.
for a moment she feels a slight sense of fear but ignores the pleads and continues on.
one step after another, one step after another.
the water rising higher and higher, now up to her chin.
she stops for a moment, to collect herself, to taste the salt on her dry lips.
she knows she cannot swim, but the challenge is so tempting.
for so long she has gone without taking risks, without having the rush of jumping into the unknown.
she has not truely been living. 
so she pushes off the sandy floor, outward and into the ocean, leaving a trail of dust behind her.
as the ocean takes her, the dust settles, erasing the last trace of her existence.
she is now the ocean. the ocean is now her.

-Henry B