As if we had forgotten, we come back
To the North Shore, driving through the dark
To see this inland, saltless sea again
And find its far, serene horizon.
There, if we dare, we plunge beneath to feel
Its frigid water crush our breath and send
Us scrambling madly up the rocks, gasping.
We have no boat, but standing at the edge
We throw our stones, and if we spin it right,
For just a while the lake pretends they float.
At night its waves still speak along the shore.
With morning, we will rise and journey back
For all the up and doing we’ve put off,
But not before we count how much we’ve spent.
Copyright © 2022 Samuel Hamer
Samuel Hamer is a practicing attorney in Minnesota. He earned degrees in physics from Wheaton College and in law from Harvard Law School. His occasional poetry considers themes of faith, doubt, and family. Sam lives with his wife, Naomi, and three boys near Minneapolis.
Photo credit: Taken by Denis Haack with his iPhone on the shore of Lake Superior.
