sight is very important at night

by the water because waves

take up all of the sound

celeste walked carefully and

was especially observant of things

that washed up and glowed

norman, the cat, pretended to be more

brave than he thought he could

and when celeste knelt his ears pricked

and swiveled and then he stepped in

her footprints while listening for clams

sniffing once, just once, at an

old jellyfish when suddenly celeste

presented him with several puzzling pieces

of shiny white sand dollars, and waves

crashed amongst the flexing rocks.

“maybe i can put them together,” she

said to norman, right up close

she whispered, “maybe they are parts of the same one.”