Sea of Advice
A poem born from the exploration of Eloquence: The Conjuring Power of Words
While I swam in the ocean, a woman
nearby mistook me for a sinking ship.
Standing on shore, she waved
her arms, every part of her swelling
and wanting to become a vessel
that could save me. She flung
a long rope of words from the stern
of her mouth, circled me like an orange
Kisbee ring marking an emergency. So
sincere was her effort, I wanted to go
under for her, fill my lungs with salt water,
ruin every beautiful breath so the city
that burned in the distance behind her
could say it all happened for a reason. But I
knew how to swim, and was for the first time
sailing, the end of the world nowhere
in sight. I wanted to tell her that I am
rain and there is no problem being
something that lives only to fall.
This poem arose from the realm of unsolicited advice. It’s my attempt to articulate something about what lives…
