Beyond the blindingly hot sand
Beyond the crush and curl of the wave
Beyond the foaming blend of air, water, earth
Beyond the pull of stones and shells and God knows what
Beyond the imbalancing tug of the current

Pelicans float on the water

That tugs gently
On every part of my body,
Accepts the strokes of my arms,
The thrust of my legs,
Holds me in place
Propels or holds me back as it pleases.

It is what it is.
I am what I am.

I think only of the water
When I am in the water,
And I move as I must.