They say it’s like watching the ocean beat against the cooled a’a

at first it makes you think

why is this happening?

we go swimming

swimming down by the ocean

down by the ocean unwitting watching

unwittingly watching it wear away the rocks

wear the rocks down to sand and dust and microscopic flakes of silica

those rocks were people too

those particles felt whole and warm once

those particles cooled and lived and were worn down smooth and cold

and they lived through noise and fear and the mundane

and the mundane scared it the most

but we swam by that rock

that rock that used to be one of many rocks

one of many rocks and bigger than it is now

small

it has been made small

made by the waves and the wind and everything that comes with routine and breathing open air

we go swimming

next to the rock and on top of what used to be the rock and everything that comes with being a rock

and it makes you think