day thirty: a thousand farewells

the old wooden boat
wind and water creaking
was at first considered
a hallucination
as it had been
for many empty years
on the haunted shore

he said
her loved her
he meant it
but convinced himself that
he must sail
to find his fortune

she rolled her eyes
disbelief
cringing at the cliché
but she knew
she could not argue
once his mind was set

birds screamed
echoing across
endless water
standing in the sand
as she watched his boat
disappear

and the only words
that left her lips
on the haunted shore
were a thousand farewells

passing weeks
at first seemed cursed
a thousand hours
she spent
serving a thousand ways
she hurt

but soon
the change came
instead of crying
she set to work
using stones
fire
sand
water
and other means
from this
she created
and it became
beautiful

while creating beauty
she found clarity
that made miles of hurt
less painful
to navigate

as time passed
with healing hands
people began to
travel to her creations
she became wealthy
without trying
with gold
and other riches

some fools reckoned
she could be
taken advantage of
robbed
but instead
they often fled
with scars resembling
intense regret
at their own
foolishness
if they escaped
at all

and there were
handsome suitors
for her every mood
passing parades
but instead she
busied herself
creating one work of beauty
after another
to keep the pain
mostly at bay
as more buyers
arrived daily
as if sent
by forces that
she did not understand

the old wooden boat
was not a hallucination
five years gone
yet she was there
waiting as if
she knew

as he stepped onshore
clothes ragged
bones weary
soul joyous
reason for living
despite years of doubt
the heavy case
full of riches
weighed heavy
in his hand

he raised the case
as his mouth readied
a speech for her ears
rehearsed a thousand times
but instead
she raised a
smiling finger to lips
and it was then
they were reunited
arms entwined
for now
and the future
flesh and soul
as one
and she heard him
promise
that he would never
say farewell
again