A Moonlit Swim

Where dreams sway like boats

Santa Barbara moonlit boats. Photo and edit by Mark Tulin

I followed the moonlight to shore,
and surfaced from a foamy break,
ears plugged and nose draining,
seaweed stuck to my limbs,
a grand return to the beach,
a soul reborn

I had bathed in the universal womb,
healing my salty wounds,
propelling my long, lean body
through swirling currents,
that crested and swelled

With each stroke and twist,
I floated under a lunar lamp
to the rhythm of my heartbeat,
keeping pace with the universe’s breath,
cleansing my worries in the brine

I savored each swimming motion,
making my way through baptismal waters
My life circled the buoy,
where dreams swayed like boats,
and melancholy turned to mist.

Picture taken in Santa Barbara. The poem was written on the sands of East Beach, Santa Barbara, in a small leather-bound notebook.