Girls Are Made of Sea Glass

By Jolie Gagnon

people are pretty like rainbow sea glass 
the sea tumbles each piece until it’s worn smooth
but most shards of glass keep a few sharp edges 

those sharp edges are where the glass is clearest and true to form 
where it’s color is strongest and it’s form is most raw
most untouched by the sea and unworn by the sand 

bits of emerald, copper, cobalt, the occasional bit of turquoise
and an infinite amount of crystalline clarity 
dot each beach and sidewalk and roadway 

to find a piece in a rare color is a treasure
she’s never found purple or pink or orange or yellow 
but will always look for it 

sea glass is everywhere and beautiful and
she can’t help but to look at each piece 
while keeping her distance in case she gets cut on those sharp edges 

she’s afraid to bleed and her edges get sharper each time 
she cracks like the grykes forming under the hot midday sun 
so she leaves each piece of glass where she finds it in the sand 
because each of those people is as sharp as she is 
but god are they beautiful