shells

so many shells
embedded
in the white
sand, or lying
loose along the shore
each holding a
quiet whisper
of what went before,
so few unbroken,
without a jagged edge,
pristine and pure,
so few making
it through from
start to finish
in one piece, so
much like us,
the love we shared,
the love we broke,
like so many shells
along the shore.