The Sea That Never Slept

The Sea That Never Slept

The sea kept murmuring secrets to itself,

long after the ships had gone.

Its breath curled around the cliffs,

and the wind leaned close to listen.

The moon floated low, pale and unsmiling,

as if tired of keeping watch.

I thought I saw her reflection tremble,

but it was only the tide remembering.

A gull cried once, and silence fell back,

like a sheet pulled over the night.

Salt clung to the air, and to my mouth,

as if trying to make me speak its grief.

I walked until the stars thinned,

and the sea began its old refrain again.

No rest for waters that know too much,

no peace for hearts that still remember.