Once I found a heart-shaped clam,
Embedded amidst golden grains of sand,
Reflected upon by a somber Sun once high,
Now receding into the arms of a vermillion sky.
Glistening brighter as the waves made way,
Back to sea from where they came,
The heart-shaped clam that had caught my eye,
Seemed to call out to me; once a mild murmur, twice a subtle cry.
Unable to resist myself; oh dear friends, I must not lie,
For hearts had I seen many,
Many broken,
And many that had gone on to thrive,
But not even one had cast a spell,
Of such boundless rapture,
That I could not help but realize,
Just how happy I was,
That this one heart; a heart-shaped clam in gilded silver guise,
This one,
This one was all mine!
But alas,
As an angel’s grace is followed by the reaper’s scythe,
And as death beckons us every step of the way,
In search for life,
For every heart craved, there is a price;
And thus unraveled before my eyes,
A heartless wave that I despised,
It screamed and thrashed and churned on its way,
Back to the sodden shore where a young dream did await,
And then; with a swift motion it was soon laid bare,
That a heart-shaped clam no longer lay there.

Yet,
Even before the penultimate ray,
Bade well to the then approaching dusk,
And I could walk away sullen,
With an unmending heart, and a dying lust,
Something caught my eye; a rather miraculous sight,
That pulled me back from the tumultuous cusp,
And in a fairy tale like love, made me regain my trust.
For, unbesmirched by roiling waves,
And untouched by the sandy paths being paved,
In constant motion, in chaotic swirl,
And in a burst of joy, I gave a whirl,
Because, my dear friends,
Where once lay a stunning heart-shaped clam,
There now remains a gorgeous imprint on the sand. 

.    .    .