Janeen Pergrin

Erosion The beach people whose cottages perch on the cliffs above the lake are desperately burying fences against the drifts, and planting small clumps of grass into the restless sand. Each spiked set of blades clutches another fistful of dune and holds it in place. As we walked - hands interlaced you pointed at leaning staircases; the tip of the swing set peeking out from the dune; the vacant lot, where a house once slipped and was swallowed up by the shore. That night, I stirred restlessly next to you listening to the wind lift curtains of sand and drop them against the house. You slept unaware of the foundation's erosion. I waited for you to wake startled rubbing your eyes blinking at the stranger lying beside you.

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