Love Language

My mother struggled
In her words
She never really ‘got’ 
Emotions

My mother shifted
Cold beach days
Into the Ocean
My mother sifted
Bent down close
Inspected with care
My mother selected
Four sea stones
Soft-hard cold-warm rare
My mother showed me
Merits each
Ritual complete
‘Now you keep’

My mother struggled
In her words
She never really ‘got’ 
Emotions

All this is to say
Each time I see you
My right pant pocket
Fistful of pebbles