Beached whales lie silent
Demands met
No air left to heat up
Mouths like clockwork
Close up
The chattering of teeth
Replaced by the distant
Rumble and thunder of waves
Biting the shore.

Stiff backs
And fragile legs
Hair thinning
Faces melting
Into days and days
                              And days and days

A countdown timer
A bomb waiting to implode
A heartbeat missed in the night
And back to silence.