Down on the Road by the Beach
Ever since I was twelve, I didn't like to swim.
I hated beaches and beach trips. I hated the thought of seagulls preying on picnics and volleyballs hitting my face. I refused to participate in what many consider a staple of summer festivities. To me, it was a neverending episode of "90210". The only thing I liked about the beach was the sand hugging my toes. But out of all the strolls I've taken, none of them were peaceful.
The waves never lapped gently across the shore. They'd always crash and turn sandcastles into mush. And if you wanted to soak up the sun, it came with the divine intervention that was the pungency of sunscreen masked by human sweat that made its way to your nostrils instead of the seaside's signature scent. I went to the beach last summer. It was my first time in ten years. I happened to like my life until I grew tired of being alone. I've been told that the beach is the worst place to find love. Well so is the club.
And then there was you. Down on the road by the beach. By the pool, in the shade, on a hot afternoon. You were standing there as I looked across the street.
"Welcome to Blue Beach," you said. I just nodded my head. You also liked the sand between your toes, but that wasn't all there was to you. We walked along the shore, pretending that every piece of driftwood was a tightrope. We laughed and took in the world around us.
And after that, we didn't talk. As the sun sank deeper into the sea, I looked over my shoulder and you disappeared. It was midnight when I gave up on trying to find you. I could have slept to get you out of my head. Instead, I woke up crying in the sun. All that's left of you is this picture and the sand between your toes.
I don't know when I'll ever get the chance to see you again. But the next time I do, I'll always remember exactly where you are. Down on the road by the beach. By the pool, in the shade, on a hot afternoon. I hope you'll still be standing there when I look across the street.
Welcome to your beach. To this day, I've never found a girl that loved me like you.
