Sunny day

You walk along the path, barefoot.  Sand is soft on the bottoms of your feet with the occasional big, bleached chunk of shell easy enough to avoid.  There are tiny, broken bits in the fine mix but they are not pokey or sharp on your feet.  The path twists between palm trees.  Silvery heads of sea oats bounce in the slight breeze at the tops of hillocks hiding the ocean view.  Passing through the flora, you are confronted with expansive white sands, hot and soft further away from the deep teal water.  You close your eyes and take a deep breath, allowing the salty air to expand your lungs and stretch your diaphragm, as the yoga videos instruct.  Tilting your head back and squinting, you feel the hot solar power on your face.  The sun is so bright you can see red through your eyelids.  

Continuing toward the water, the sand soon becomes uncomfortably hot on the soles of your feet.  You try to shuffle a bit, get to the cooler sand under the top layer, but there is no relief there.  At this point you are keeping yourself from running as you did as a child, hightailing it for the cooling water.  Brisk-stepping restraint soon gives way to a trot, then flat out running for the water.  Laughing out loud, you realize you are alone on the beach in any case and can be as childish as pleases you.  The sand is firm and cool near the water's edge, and your pace slows to a walk.  You peel off your shorts and shirt and step into the water.  You imagine a sizzle and some steam rising from your feet as the water cools your red skin.  Walking further into the water, you look down and see your feet, absurdly whitish blue in the crystal clear ocean.    

You walk deeper into the water until it us just over your waist.  Your hands trail and dip, making swirls and currents to the sides.  You close your eyes, inhale, and lean back until the water gently covers your shoulders, lifting your feet off the sandy ocean floor.  You rock gently, arms thrown wide, knees slightly bent.  Eyes closed, you hear the unidentified, ambient sounds under the bubble of the surface.  Light penetrates the surface of your skin and you finally, gratefully are warm.