Appetite

After a trip to humidity and ocean shores what I have an appetite for is endless beach hours. The ones where you role out of bed and find your way to sand seeping between your toes before you are even awake. Where beach rocks fill my pockets to overflowing, so the guy on his morning run gives me that “she must be a little light upstairs” look out of the corner of his eye as he goes by. Where by nine a.m. I’ve gotten a full dose of salt water through my brain and something in my core feels satiated and relaxes and knows the rest of the day anything can happen because I’ve been to the beach. Others feed their hunger in mountains but for me it’s the sea. Any amount of swimming in salt water seems to calm my appetite. The clearer and cleaner the water is the more I feel full, contented, like I’ve been fed the best, most nutritious, meal ever. Sometimes it was hard to tell if I’d ever get out because of the huge famine I’ve been in – of no salt water - but eventually even that void got filled as I swim, float or bob my way toward the shore. I wonder if I’ll ever lose my appetite for the ocean or will it’s call to smell, eat, drink, and merge with it always beckon? I keep forgetting how much I yearn for it. I let myself forget till I’m there. Will it ever get satisfied or will it take me over till I go home to my mermaid ways?

Mary