For days I study
the architecture of clouds
the prehistoric silhouettes
of pelicans chaining past
dark wings riding
invisible rivers of bright air

I sleep and dream the moon falls
into the arms of the ocean
their long dance ending
in this strange embrace
where the waves take her
and polish her to pearl
smooth and lustrous
unmarked by time
a promise just remembered
small enough to keep

—
Mary C McCarthy has always been a writer, but spent most of her working life as a Registered Nurse. She has had work included in many online and print journals, including Expound, Third Wednesday, Earth’s Daughters, The Evening Street Review, and Caketrain.