I passed on through water.
Because the sea has cried out to me
since I was old enough to listen.
My mother was frightened
the first time I pressed my lips
to Lake Michigan.
I was surprised when I didn’t taste
salt in her kiss.
When I introduced myself to the sea,
She stole breath from my lungs.
Jellyfish stings like butterfly kisses
Hello hello--
You’ve finally made it.
Hello.
I used to leap into waves
with my father.
The only time he crashed
into something
other than porcelain.
Laugh ringing out,
instead of rage.
Smile disappearing
under sea-spray,
One hand an anchor on my elbow
the only time he didn't let go.
I wake with seabrine on my tongue.
Taste her salt in the water
that spills from my eyes.
Feel her ebb and flow
beneath my skin
as I try to catch my breath.
She calls me,
begging me to come home.
Ankles in frozen shallows,
I reach for her.
Maybe in this life,
she will let me walk away.
Saved the best for last! That Lake Michigan line was fiyah
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