Braille Beneath My Feet

By Linda Bartram

Last week I made my annual pilgrimage to Rathtrevor Beach on the east coast of Vancouver Island. At low tide, miles of sand and tidal pools are revealed. Over the years, with each visit I have put away my white cane, dropped my guide’s arm or released my guide dog, and just walked unaided and unimpeded. 

I walk alone where sea and silence meet,  

Barefoot across the expanse of retreating tide.

No cane needed to guide my passage through this barrier-free world

Just sand and wind and waves to be my guide.

The rippled sand is firm 

Speaking a language of its own,

Braille beneath my feet.

Each ridge, each warm tidal pool, a voice I understand,

And the distant roar tells me where the land and waters meet.

While the ocean hums a lullaby of trust

And the wind is steady in my face

For a few moments in time, I walk with confidence unaided

The sea, the wind, the sand walk with me, and I am free!