you let it
I know its secret, its weakness
I can keep the sea at bay
need be.
On hands and knees I venture out
the surf—darkness gathers
me like gauze veils,
into place one by one
I don"t notice any change until
I look up and see the sky"s gone black.
Behind me the Boards have yawned,
, and awakened. Water
around me, churning frothy white.
I dig my hands into the packed sand,
for shells or sea fleas.
The tide"s coming in, I don"t notice,
I lick away flecks of salt—
I like the bitter taste.
There"s a dip around here
drop where they took out the sand
build a sandbar.
The water pulls me under,
my lungs, squeezing my chest,
to hold me down.
When I find my way back
the shore, I wonder if I shall have
same dark marks striped upon my body
have striped upon the sand
the
