Elba
this sea is tungsten. it seethes at my touch
as white as bone, although not made of bone.
my heart goes undeceived. these waves
clutch at the shore and loose calamity.
surrounded by horizons i grow small.
Helena
the light is gentle under the surface.
the surf comes to me as soft sounds
not unlike small breaths.
my own breaths slow
to the scale of atoms.
my heart grows round
and perfectly smooth––
this does not taste like defeat.