“for every goodbye, God also provides a hello”
Donna Gable Hatch

You found me standing
Alone,
Still despite
The stiff brine breeze,
Staring out
To sea
As if I was awaiting
My beloved's return.
The shore was empty,
No swimmers,
No sunbathers,
No rowdy games
Of volleyball;
Only the strident cries
Of gulls
And the ceaseless sighs
Of gentle waves
As the tide
Moved onshore.
I was
A single figure
Amid dunes
And sea oats,
A solitary woman
Alone
With her thoughts.
But you saw more.
You saw I was
Surrounded by ghosts,
Haunted by thoughts
And memories,
And too many
Dashed dreams,
And somehow you knew
Just the word
To drive them away,
The perfect word
To bring me back
To now.
You knew to offer
A genuinely friendly smile,
And a simple, warm
Hello.

c. 2024