“Journey: To The Lighthouse”

She walked toward the lighthouse

The weight of her sleeping baby strapped to her chest

She’d managed to find it on her own, after all

His father had accompanied her on this path before

But she had just followed his lead

The rocks felt uneven beneath her sandaled feet

She paused to empty something sharp from her shoe

Why had she never noticed the subtle shades of ochre and orange in the sand before?

Or how the water was the same blue-green of her son’s eyes?

He stirred as she straightened up

She kissed the top of his head, smiled, and continued walking toward the lighthouse

The dusk light warmed as their breaths moved in unison with the inhales and exhales of the waves.


-Joyce Galehouse

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