Safely

Under a rock,
two people.

Before them,
the sea.

Far off,
one boat.

One of them
pressed two hands together.

“Let them
come back.”

The fingers

were pressing
against each other.

The boat
grew distant.

I

thought of the family I had left behind.

Let them come here,

let me go back to them —

I could not pray for that.

I was the one

who had left.

After a long while

that one spoke again.

“Safely…”

The rest
was not said.

The one beside

bowed too.

“Safely.”

Even after the words ended

the two of them

kept their hands pressed together.