Do you remember the story
about the two lovers who—tethering each other by their hair—
jumped straight into the insatiable belly of the ocean;
how its mouth foams in delight
as it eats away at the edges of what was once your home
only pausing now and then to spit the remains
of a cigarette, a sunscreen bottle, pop tabs, or take-away boxes and cutlery?
Yet, just the other day,
I knelt by the lips of the sea
and watched as its waves made diamonds
out of the setting sun
and kissed the feet of children and elderly
strolling along its shoreline.
Water is a forgiving beast,
and the lovers have always been safer at sea.
We never did learn how to swim.
Still, you might like to see it again,
you might come to love it someday.
Erica Dionora
Erica Dionora is a writer and illustrator. Erica was born in the Northern Marianas Islands but is now based in Canada. To connect with her or to see more of her works, visit http://www.dionorae.com