[martires with marina 2]

i.

it was the green sea
thick
that held them
lots of little fingers
swaying branches
a tender touch
the storm was a plum
how could I have forgotten how much I love you?
the sky tells me to remember.

it's time to go
seashell hair
tortoise freckles
in the shallows
it's really hard to let go
the storm is a plum
laughter in a language I don't understand
a river
not as tired as it used to be
it was the green sea that held them
fingers but no palms
the perfect chesnut
sweet but a little like a tin can
that clatters down the road
a celebration and a
kite, it's getting late she says
i don't have any more words
tonight there are no stars
there are ten thousand tin cans
in the sea
a conversation six days late
like a shadow
over two cups of tea
i am tired
but not hungry
when
five minutes rest
and the crunch of a boot
sickens
there is a puddle
a burnt scalp
a poppy
one euro to see a home inside a cave
it is blue
higher than the others
he kisses the trunk
involuntary smile
I could not capture
obedience humility trust
it is dusk in the city
but noon in this garden
will you hold me as I have been held?
arms attached to fingers
fingers like branches
thick relief
the gate is not closed
there is still a place to sit
chipped green paint
communion dresses
splay in the water
cat cries
slow and soft
but hard to hear---
i'd like to hold you back
no waves bursting
just chests
here, my hands clenched
for you, an offering
honest but not clear
it was a mirror
a mosaic
of simple things

ii.

thank you
i'm sorry
just a little
dizzy in the salt
slippery seaweed
too many tongues
in a bathtub
and the clothes all over the floor
a faulty drain
gives not takes away
i hope that i can learn
how to swim.