I visited the beach today
the sun was warm
then hot
then scorching

the sun left his mark on me
the way many men have

I visited the beach today
the water was frigid
then cold
then cool

she is the kinder of the two
allowing herself to change around me

we have applied these gendered pronouns to nonhuman forces
through gender we have shaped our understanding of these forces that are truly beyond our understanding.

the sea goes on
the sun lives on
and I am burned and cooled
all in a day