able to see him ever again, as his face dips into the realm of obscurity after all these years, only recognizable in hollow photographs. I won’t be able to relive those moments with him, standing by his side as we watch the dawn of a new day. My eyes drip wet, as I gaze out at the encompassing void of the deep, restless Atlantic. Clouds of steel rise in the distance. Leaving in the wake of my tears, I pass through the nearing path, lined with skewed picket fences and a bed of splintered, wooden boards, both a matching shade of weathered ashen gray, reflecting the darkness of the ominous clouds lingering overhead. At the peak of the sloping path, I look back to the darkened beach, with the rolling, navy-colored ocean giants, merging with the howling winds. My vision begins to cloud as the surroundings dissipate, the gloss, receding into a solemn picture, as I turn my back on the fading image of Coast Guard. That picture is what I will depart with. I can let go of you, for now I realize, my memories weren’t defined by your image, Coast Guard. They were defined by him. Without his presence, your canvas lies a blank slate, without definition, ready to be cultivated, for new memories to shape you. For now, I leave you, until better days approach. Only then, will I return, to greet your visage once more. We will be strangers then, and a new relationship will begin. Until then, I bid you farewell.
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