These days I am closer

These days I am closer to the place--
the place
I've wanted to remember
for years. These days
I can sometimes smell
the salt of the sea
without trying.




I catch a glimpse of a small girl,
a blonde pixie cut;
I catch a glimpse of her white slip
and feel the cool and life-filled chill
of early morning biting
her legs.
I see a window overlooking the bustling
downtown street below.

In the quiet of morning
in this stillness of time
I am close