after listening to Helping Hand by Yo-Yo Ma
I walk along wind sculpted hills
of white quartz sand to satisfy my curiosity.
Sandpipers play chicken with receding waves,
while they skim, slurp, probe the mud.
Jellyfish, stranded by the tide, glisten and wink.
A tank-like structure somersaults on the waves,
resonates against the rocks.
I stoop down to take a closer look:
brownish-green, domed-shaped helmet,
hinged carapace, spiky tail.
Not a living creature, but the molt
of a horseshoe crab. There on the beach
I leave a former version of myself
and journey on, renewed.
Found
A poet and a public school teacher, Julie Martin lives near the confluence of the Mississippi and Minnesota Rivers. Her work has recently appeared in the following journals: The Talking Stick, Plants and Poetry, Optopia, Mothers Always Write, and Thimble Literary Magazine. With poet and artist River Urke, she co-hosts Up Close: Meet the Poet Behind the Verse, a monthly program that showcases the work of local poets in the Twin Cities. You can see more of her work on her blog, Sphinxmothrising.blogspot.com