Ocean Forgave Us

Six of us left when the lights came on
Two kilometres to the water — come on
Bring the small speaker — the night's not done
Low battery... it'll last

Down the beach road, shoes in our hands
Club stamps fading across our palms
Thandi's still humming the last tune played
Sipho's carrying the friend we almost lost
Water turns black to navy to grey
Streetlights giving up one by one
Nobody says what we came to say
So the small speaker starts the drum
And six tired dancers reach the sand

We didn't come to swim
We came to put the whole year in
Hold still, let the first light through
Now dance it out — it's overdue

Salt on our lips and gold on the tide
Shoes in our hands, last drum outside
Wet sand keeping every step we drew
We danced till the ocean forgave us

We're still here
After the year
Morning coming through
The ocean forgave us

January took the shop we built
March took Uncle J; we carried the guilt
June, me and Sipho stopped speaking
Over money, pride and a borrowed van
October, Thandi called — enough
Bring every grudge — we'll dance them light
So don't ask why we're crying in the foam
Six broken people dancing home

Salt on our lips and gold on the tide
Shoes in our hands, last drum outside
Wet sand keeping every step we drew
We danced till the ocean forgave us

For the shop on Point Road, we dance
For Uncle J, we dance
For the friend Sipho carried in, we dance
For all six, still standing in the spray
Still here

We came to ask the water's pardon
But the water kept four-four time
Sipho's hand found my shoulder
Then hands found shoulders down the line
The ocean never judged us, friend
It kept the beat till we could bend
The tide took every mark we made
Kept the dance, released the blame
The ocean kept the rhythm
We forgave each other

Salt on our lips and gold on the tide
Shoes in our hands, six hearts alive
Wet sand keeping every step, every step we drew
We danced till the ocean
We forgave each other
Six came heavy, six go home light
Morning opening, white and blue
We danced till the ocean
Till the ocean forgave us

Speaker's dying
Let it die
The waves already know the song
Same beach, next December — deal?
Six pairs of footprints going home