The Blue Shell

I told you that I knew a path alongside a pasture
Where coloured Appaloosas grazed
And a gawky foal gave us our first laugh.
Over the dune was the deep blue sea
That gave us a moment of a thousand thoughts
Its crashing waves background music.

I showed how I could make
A flat stone skip twelve times
Before a wave cried give me what's mine
Then the shells brought us laughter again
You found pink and I gold
They were exchanged
It was a deal made before we met.

But there was one more to be found
It was of azure blue and aching to be owned
Your eyes opened wide and your hand reached out
You needed to press blue to your heart

On a desolate part of the beach near a bay
Stands a lonely cafe used only at times
Used by the fisher folk to meet, yarn and drink
Upstairs was where the women cried
Whenever the boats creaked and groaned
And they rocked in storms only buoyed by prayer

We sat there and drank a wine of no known account
You looked at me intently and frowned
Was I all that strange to you?
Was I not what you had always thought?
Then the frown left and you smiled
You gave me all your shells as your cheeks glowed
But you held one tight close to your heart
"Don't you see it's blue. This shell was meant for me".