Saltwater curled around my ankles with surprising tenderness
It felt like the sea already knew
Waves tugged lightly
asking for what I’d hidden
I let one secret slip—
a small one trembling
The tide wrapped it carefully
as if handling fragile glass
Another followed then another
The ocean took them all
without judgment
without return
When I finally looked up
the horizon gleamed brighter
Secrets weigh less when water holds them
Healing begins in the undertow