By the Sea

A child stood where the daylight curled
Along the rim of the singing world;
Small feet sank in the silver sand,
A shell held tight in a shining hand.

The waves came in with a frothy cheer,
As if they had known the child all year;
They kissed the shore, then slipped away,
Inviting little dreams to play.

The gulls wrote circles in the blue,
The wind untied the morning dew;
And laughter, bright as bits of glass,
Went dancing where the tide would pass.

The child looked out beyond the foam
And seemed to find a second home—
A place where wonder washed ashore
And made the heart a little more.