REACHING OUT

A hand from the present stretches backward
to touch the heart from the past,
gently reinforcing, affirming the common love
of an island, a place that changes.
Not to worry, says the outstretched hand,
your love and memory are safe here,
understood here, despite the changing times.
No need to become lost in remembrance,
the heart shares its secrets,
its stories, its humor, its sorrow.
An island is suspended, loved by those in the present,
the past and the distant future, all coming together
to paint a picture of rock, wind and surf, sand, shells,
and other lovers.

Daphne Stern