just because I like your eyes
or your twisted words that tango
in flashes of crimson and cranberry
with ideas of my own
I refuse to lay down my armor
at your traveling feet
You are a wanderer just like me
the world is not our oyster
but the massive emerald sea
and we hold our breath
as long as we can manage
brushing the sea ****
with our finger tips
and swirling with
the schools of fish
until we are gasping for air
at the surface of the water,
squinting in the sun to see
each other
I may never learn how to
breathe underwater
so don't hold me like you hold your breath--
I am not a temporary exploration
I am the sand and sunshine
where oxygen abounds
I am the quiet storms
and the furious clouds
There is a whole world above the sea
where you can breathe
and in that world,
you'll find me.
-Natalie M. Walker