emerald coast.

the small towns and broken brick walls feel like a distant star

as I sit on this beach in front of the ocean

and watch the sun setting behind the vacation houses on my right

while a storm comes in on the left

there's a sudden sense of strong emotion that comes over me

and I get a strange sense that if I get in the water

I'd be able to swim to where the sky meets the ocean

and I'd be able to touch it

there's a sudden gust of wind

a family laughs about something not far from me

and my brain returns to the pure white sand

that I've buried my toes in

I lean forward, folding my arms over my knees

and watch the group of friends on the rocks

all in their twenties, all smiling

all a little broken in some way

one of them, in blue shorts with dark hair

looks at me

and I look back at him

he smiles and waves, I smile back

I'm chilling by myself

so he probably feels bad that I don't have friends like he does

or maybe he doesn't care

either way

I'm perfectly happy where I'm at