Ritual

Are these the hands that shaped these times from soil,
and took each precious stone down to the sea
to wash it, bring it back, arrange like shapes
that will become significant and pure?

But we have been to this place once before
and these are memories we placed up here,
reminding us of times and days and dreams
of how to move through landscapes like this one,

and how the sea can wash us both so clean,
removing stains of history and of loss.