Across the sea
safe in a case
was brought to me
a trinket.
a silver thread
enwrought with
starlets
of pretty pink and silver

it liked my tan
and formed a decorative band
around my ankle

a suitable occasion
and my anklet embraced
its moment of recognition.

we abandoned our plans
and headed for the polluted shores
our feet in first
then our knees
the sea water lapped and lapped
at once i felt
a significant snap!
i picked it up
and hid it in my blackening bag.

that night i celebrated without my anklet
my chain was loose
my foot was free
I crossed boundaries into deeper sands
sands that sank
conveniently forgetting
my glimmering chain
shut up in my blackening bag

my free foot sank and sank
the harder i climbed the deeper it bore
until i was completely engulfed
suffocating

the air is clear now
no grains of sand to grind my skin
i found my anklet
my broken anklet
and latched it on
with a safety pin.