when my first marriage
was on the rocks 
we drove to a beach 
hoping that sand and water 
would fix whatever was wrong 

watched our young children
laugh in the shallows 
ignorant of our adult problems

some believe that 
all they need is a week 
on the beach pretending
that the nine to five 
don’t care about you bosses

standing waste deep in salt and water 
while my children
now young men 
rail against
the tatnic potential death waves
that came on rolling green blue
my body still felt tired 
and that vast endlessness 
did nothing to fix
whatever this is