Picnic

The boat left us on the dock, 
and we walked with our cooler and our towels 
far down the beach until there was nothing but sand and waves 
and long thin clouds, bracing up the sky. 
No trees or buildings, no shade, 
the beach empty for as far down as we could see. 
We sat on the sand, spoke little; 
eventually we fell silent 
and let the waves speak for us. 
We were waiting for something to change, 
alone together as in a room 
that had turned out to be the world.