Atoms

The sand had the consistency of clay, or or acrylic paint. I spread it on my legs and my face, insisting he do the same. The overcast sky made us forget that we were burning. Foolish, in swimsuits not wetsuits, using our bodies for boards, eyes stinging from the salt, we heedlessly fought every wave. Another edge of the world achieved with a holler. Then past the ridge of pohutakawa trees to quieter coves and higher outlooks. Past the outlooks inland, past farms and vineyards on the way back into Auckland. Past, past.

I flew out the next day. Was stopped by a snowstorm and a cold that made my body shiver for a week, quietly, uncomplaining, surprising me when I noticed it.