Overheard II

Do you know how, if you go to a vacation at the beach—
Even if you never go to the beach
Say, if you spend all your time at the pool or the outlets—
There’s still this thing:
You could go to the beach?
At any moment, you could get up and go

The beach is there
And this makes everything you do more beautiful
Because you're choosing it when you could be in the water

(Honestly, though, who would do that?  I can’t stand salt
And I detest sand sticking in sunscreen)
But you could
You could walk the two hundred feet to the beach

You don’t, though
You sit and smiled, consoled—comforted, isn’t that what that means?
Consoled…soothed
Because you’re convinced this moment is more perfect
Because of every choice you’re not taking

Choices, yes, that’s what I’m getting at
Choices make everything seem something greater
Makes the grass greener where you are
Makes the desert a garden
When, if there was nothing to compare this to that,
This hand to that hand,
All you’d feel is sand