Grammar Lesson

Aimee Nezhukumatathil

What if sand is another form of the verb sin?

As in Forgive all my sand, all this sand appears

whenever he is near. And when I’m not with him, 

sometimes a veritable beach of white sand, pink sand, 

black sand appears at the edges of the highway, in hotel 

lobbies, and sometimes even on diner booths. But now 

it’s a beach, dotted with bright umbrellas, and look— 

someone left a pink-striped towel. You know

how it is—you’re a good girl. You wore sunscreen even 

on cloudy days in Sand City. And no matter how you shake 

and brush it off, what never fails to stick is sand. Look:

I found a whole sin dollar. I found a fiddler crab with one 

good claw. She waves and waves it, shielding herself 

from the white heat and all the pop and crackle of this sin.

Aimee Nezhukumatathil is the New York Times bestselling author of two essay collections, Bite by Bite and World of Wonders, and a book of poems, Night Owl. She serves as a firefly guide for Mississippi State Parks.
Originally published:
March 16, 2026

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