i carry the ocean with me
between my lungs and heart
crashing lullabies
silver foamed crescendos
the way sea mirrors sky
& when I cry it looks
as if i’m coming up for air
it feels only a bit like crying
and a lot like letting go
salt in my veins
long lost the feeling of dehydration
more like trying to bring me home again
after being terribly homesick for years
dreaming a dream of the sea the day i let it go
keeping pieces of it with me always
the dead center of the ocean
lies closest to my heart
why my mother never took to the waves
“too cold” she always said
sand avoidance just in case
what disney would be
if no one went to find nemo
Latin for nobody
a point quite possibly never
seeing a single visitor
incessant knocking
shattering the windows
beating at the panes
let me in
please
but I helped build reason for the windows
and the lock
handed away the key
but forgot to keep one for myself
planted four flowers
but only watered three
tide after tide
never far off
tide after tide
almost reaching you but never quite
following my mother
between the resting tides
i carry the ocean with me
inside my saltwater soul