When I was young and I collected snails and placed them on a rock and prayed for a tidal wave to rise up and sweep them all away.

When I was young and I hunted fish with a crabs claw and jabbed at shadows that were just the refracted images of life in the shelter of the bay.

When I was young and I slept under stars for the first time in my life and each one became my friend and when the sun rose I cursed the day.

When I was young and I nearly drowned myself with riptides swirling in around the sand dunes and was forced to swim away.

I fell in love for the first time.