Searching for Sea Glass

Danielle Higdon

Specks of seafoam green and azurite blue,
cradled by rock—
the rubble of the tide—
beneath lapping water,
thin as a sheet. 

Pick the one that speaks
to your soul. 

Lift it—to meet
the light.

Rotate it,
and cherish
its reflections.

The ocean’s generosity
is measured in centuries.

One bottle tumbles
over a lifetime,
shaped by salt and
sand, to emerge
as many gems. 

The elements conspired
moons ago
to deliver each piece,
to leave them humbly
at your bare,
sun-warmed feet. 

Burnished caramel,
lit from the inside. 

Translucent opal,
alive with sparkle. 

Each—
personal as a signature.

Collect your pocketful.
Let the tiny charms
clink and chatter
in their new
cotton pouch. 

They have traveled
a small forever
to make their way
to you.

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Danielle Higdon
Danielle is a writer based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Originally from Newfoundland, her work is heavily inspired by her coastal upbringing and the profound depths of human emotion.