Lost amidst the sea and swirls
I am floating past gates of white
Misty waters and depths below
Seal my fate / a weeping demise.

Washed ashore / the aflame home
My brethren trudge past mud and sticks
(They’re all knowing and yet none-the-wiser)
I am found beneath sand and drunken tidepools.

Awakened through a crack / beating sunlight
Gathers the souls of my people… my people…
Dark mouths stretched across
Leering into saltwater sacrifices.

///

Encircle my limbs / a permissive sway
(Dancing, singing, lullaby-and-goodnight)
Wait for some semblance of hope to be found
Rooted / buried in my soul.

Gut me, ravage me, pillage and
Plunder and smoke and ashes
And wildlife and wonder
And… and…. and…

And then I am gone. The rest of my brittle
Bones lie tethered to a leaky sailboat,
Swimming in the night,
Cast away for evermore.
Banished.

///

Warm rays of dawn meld me to
Her Majesty, Mother Earth, Terrestrial Goddess
Dissolved like snow on water
I am released into the atmosphere,
Finally… finally… finally…
Free to roam the sky and stars.

– Olivia Ellisor