Ink

In a whale’s belly

The squid spun to stare at me

He gave me a gift

Grew the grass for her

Watered with my blood, a tree

To which I tended

Made the mighty blade

To bludgeon my bark, rip out

My roots, buried it

From dust, from draft, I dug

Pressed the life into her lungs

Stay with me, please stay

Her hair black as coal

A sweet, soft, silvery voice

A sword that would save

On fins of fiber

Oh, she soars! Look, how she soars!

And I swim with her!

My solace, the salve that

Soothes my strained skin, forever

She is forever

The squid, his suckers

Grabbed the gift, drowned me

Made me the sucker

He took her from me

Why would he let me have her?

She is all I had

So, I search for her

First, the sharks surround me

Now they bow to me

Their teeth seized the squid

I drank his ink, spat it out

Finally found her

I grab her, my gift

Her sword spins to slice me

How dare she! Some gift…

Why would she do that?

After all I’ve done for her?

Not a gift, a curse –

Oh, of course, I see

I see why she fears me now

Ink spills from my mouth

My tears as black as coal

She bandages me, I breathe

In a whale’s belly