We keep them on the mantle
In an old jam jar
Full of sand and
Memories

But not this one.

I keep it
In my pocket
Always

Sometimes
I hold it in my hand
Run my fingers over its smooth ripples
Trace my finger around its edges
And I can feel the sun again
I can hear the waves
Crashing over the shore
And I remember

That summer
When we woke with the sun
To swim in the shadows of dawn
All those times
We laughed
Heads thrown back
Faces toward the sky
And that night
We danced
On the beach
Cold sand beneath our feet
Hot sparklers crackling with the rhythm of the ocean

Years have passed

You are gone now
After packing your car
Full of cardboard boxes,
Hammering a “SOLD” sign into your front lawn
And waving goodbye

And we have lost touch
I see your house
Like an empty cave
Lonely
Without the sounds of our laughter
Echoing throughout

All that’s left of that summer
Are blurry photos underneath my bed
Pictures,
Snapshots,
And that shell

You are gone now
But I keep you in my pocket
Always