Dave Bonta's short poem sets two small scenes side by side. In the first, a single reed stands in the sand, out of place and cut off from wherever reeds belong. The speaker says it is "as lost as us," and that little phrase quietly pulls the speaker and a companion into the picture. They feel stranded too, a bit adrift, as if they've washed up somewhere unfamiliar.
The second stanza shifts the tone. The pair become "a mad couple at play / with the sea," which suggests they're laughing, splashing, or chasing the waves. The word "mad" can mean silly and carefree, but it also hints at something slightly reckless. Being lost doesn't seem to make them miserable. Instead, they meet it with playfulness.
The mood is tender, light, and a little wistful. The title's "strands" fits both the beach and the idea of being stranded. The poem seems to say that being lost is easier to bear when you're lost together.