at the gateway
of a long and lovely pier
not that many years ago
an owl flew
to the pines onshore
as we approached.
we entered the pier
a path on water
and walked
farther and farther from land.
the sounds from the road grew dull
the lights distant
the weathered wood giving
beneath each step

a wind had picked up the surf
a drunken slapping of water
the background breath
of the night
past dusk but not dark
we stood at a railing
and slowly came to see
the dark smooth shapes of
porpoises feeding among the waves

you hear of people
communing with dolphins
and all that
but this wasn’t that way
they paid no heed to our presence
our voices just coexisting
with their silent
rising and falling for food

it grew dark
and the water itself took light;
each time a dolphin surfaced
the dolphin shimmered
washed in green light.

the pier stretched on
we walked toward the dark
toward the empty sound
away from shore
and saw beneath us
where the pilings touched sea floor
tiny sparkings
fairy lights
and knew no name
for what creatures they may have been

at some point
there came upon us
a separation
we walked apart
and then
this fierce belonging
this i was not i nor was he he
we were of salt and water
the pungent origin
of mystery
and nothing was extricable
each from other

such blending softens
to the separate shapes we are born to
man woman sand water
the owl marks our
desultory exit back to shore

that night is gone
the pier is gone
the relationship is shifted
still, we are all one
woven to original night
and all that has life
one sound to one gulf to one sea