9/19

the next step in the process
is peeling back the top layer of paper to reveal the shell

here is a poem that goes with each piece:


the sea knows

ever since i was a child
i collected shells shells and stones
along the shores of fire island
and there was always
an abundance of treasures

and then…
there wasn’t...
anything
and a huge part
of my relationship to the beach
had vanished

yesterday,
for the first time in years
there were shells,
not a massive amount
but
there were shells,

and they were predominantly
oyster shells
and they were predominantly
black