Building Sandcastles During a Pandemic

Sometimes

moments are

good enough 

for keeping,

like this one

as we ready 

to build this year’s 

first sandcastle

with a cracked

leaky bucket.

we shed shoes, 

peel off socks, roll

our pants to our knees,

we forget fears

pretending our lives 

are normal doing 

this normal thing.

I sit shoveling

sand, but always

I watch you

holding the pail

gently on its side 

trying to catch 

the elusive water,

then rising waves 

deliver you back

and

laughter

spills

between

us.