Pūpū at the Tide Line

At sunset the receding water leaves tiny treasures outlined in foam: a piece of softened sea glass, a striped shell, a fragment of coral bright against wet sand. The pleasure is in noticing what the ocean has revealed.

Pūpū have long been gathered for lei and adornment, yet the shoreline is also a living home. The gentlest collectors look closely, take sparingly if permitted, and leave occupied shells exactly where they are.