evidence

Sing to me

a seagull song

come crashing in again

dive down white and shining

from a brilliant

August sky, soak

my shores

with laughter

the way you did

before the rain and

charcoal clouds churned

us into ghosts

and split apart our ship

from bow to stern to ribs

while we rocked

against swirling water

rising, rising, crashing

in…

we

struggled to reach

for ropes that

uncoiled and twisted and burned

into our hands, then they

went slithering overboard -

snakes into a cauldron…

I cannot hear you sing to me

our seagull song.

Here in the sand

we are tattered white flags

bleached in the sun,

a shipwreck shoved ashore.

I only hear

that final crash

and heave that laid

bare the bones and soul of us,

proof we once existed, sailing

fearless on the sea.