Ashes by Cathy Joyce Lee

Windblown sand with wisps of my essence
that leave no footprints
for waves to erase.
Salty air kisses my spirit,
my arms reach out to hold the surf.
My eyes turn toward you and cry with blue tears
because you are sad.
Gently I fade, evanescing
blending into the earth, weathered pebbles
and coastal brush.
I do not choose
to chase the past,
to wander the shores
a restless traveler.

You set me free to the passage of time,
infinitely shifting ground.
An image of a dust devil
with the dreams of an angel.
I shed my burdens with each fragile step,
a pastel memory of what I once was.
You are not alone.
I am still present melding with the elements,
reborn of the ocean,
returning to life
with wisdom that flows
through continuous currents.
You hold my vessel,
the last of my being.
I am no longer contained.
My ashes dissolve
and merge with the sea
like those before me and you,
who will follow.

Cathy Joyce Lee can be found forest bathing at night and paddling the rivers by day. The connections she feels with the natural and supernatural worlds inspire her words. She has been published in several literary magazines to include 7th-Circle Pyrite, Prosetrics, Pure Slush, Four Tulips, the dionysian public library, NightWriter Review/The 805, Moonflake Press and Poetics.