Return To Padre Poem by Juan Olivarez

It was a million years ago,
We walked on the beach at Padre.
Scattering the sand crabs as we went,
And dodging the blue jellyfish,
That were everywhere.
Tossing bread up in the air,
To the ravenous seagulls,
That never got their fill.
Feeling the southeast blowing in,
Off the Gulf, we laughed.
We had no cares, all we knew,
Was that we were so young,
And so much in love.
That night we slept on the sand dunes,
With a fire to keep us warm.
Gazing up at the light from distant stars,
That had probably been dead,
For a million years.
We watched the lights on the shrimp boats,
As they came in for the night,
And left again in the hours,
Before the dawn.
We sat up and watched the glorious golden orb,
Rise in the east, as he has,
For time immemorial.
And we were happy.
Softly and gently I caressed your belly,
And said, 'good morning Johnny,
Your daddy loves you very much.'
Two months later he would arrive,
And when he was old enough,
He returned to Padre,
With wide eyes,
And already walking,
On his own two legs.

3/26/11 Alton Texas