Another Story on the Shoreline

Wrapping my scarf around my shoulders
protecting myself from the nip in the air,
and the nip at my heart.
This white, glistening shoreline
has seen many of my past years,
good times and bad, happy and sad.
Gentle ocean waves, lap quietly onto shore
as if to keep from interfering with my reflections.

A small thud taps against tips of my toes,
absentmindedly, my gaze lands on an
old, thick-plated container, tall and oval,
bouncing against my shoe.
Inside seems to be an onion-thin
piece of parchment.

Trekking up onto the soft, dry land
sitting with my back against the dune,
my fingers poised around the cork,
my mind reels of the possibilities
of the message hidden inside.

Perhaps it's a long, lost love letter,
a composed piece of music,
or an emergency call for help, of a captain lost at sea.
Whatever this mysterious message, it was meant for me.

With a bit of persistence the cork becomes free.
Working diligently, the paper held captive
for so long, begins its descent from its air-tight prison.

Words from long ago, will now add to the
story of my life, upon these shorelines.

The words are short, simple and sweet:

Andrew and Mariabella Foster, promise to forever share
their lives and dreams together.
We pledge to keep our love strong and our hopes alive.
For the one chosen receiver of this message, let it be
a reminder to you: to keep your hopes and dreams
alive, and perhaps even more than this--be sure to
forever share them with someone you love. For in doing
so, you will make the world a far better place.
With much love and happiness,
Forever Yours,
Andrew and Mariabella Foster
February 25, 1927


{dropnote:"Prompt: 9-20-14 – Message in a bottle"}
You are at the ocean, walking along the shoreline and you find a bottle with a message inside.
Words TO use: onion, reel, music, captive.
Words NOT to use: bottle, glass, open, water, write, salt, sand, rocks, stones, walk, the specific word ‘I’
Minimum of 30 lines; free verse or rhyme.