Jersey Water

it must be good
as the wave comes in
sinking one foot further
in the sand
so I trust the foot
on solid ground

 

the water is cold
and hurts at first
but you will get used to it
and soon enough
you can't walk without it
you become numb to the pain
and the freezing cold
and deeper and deeper
you walk

 

but there are people swimming
and they don't seem to stop
but I'm sure that they started
with an occasional stroll
but I've seen enough
to know that the "cool" people
are in reality cold
numbing their nerves
tightening their skin
until they can't enjoy
the warmth of the sand

 

can you feel the warmth
of a child's hug
when your limbs are numb
and your extremities frigid?

 

I don't want to cause
any wakes in the water
but I need to try
to throw you a a rope
even though I know
you won't grab it unless
you want to yourself
to keep what we have
from
turning into
what we had

 

so you place the wine glass
on the white mattress
and talk about how
you don't want a stain
but for now
you want to jump on the bed
but how can I trust that
we'll lay in it the same?

 

will the stain wash out?
or will we lay in it
attracting insects
to our sleeping bodies
but no no, it's okay
it's not what you want
it just seemed like a good idea
at the time

 

the walk will always turn into a swim
and the mattress is bound to stain

Reviews

[Reika]

I really liked the flow of this poem and the bits about the walk and the mattress are brilliant!
I really liked the lines:

"but no no, it's okay
it's not what you want
it just seemed like a good idea
at the time"

I'm not sure why I like it, but I did. Probably because that's how a lot of things are and not everyone always understands.

I love the the ending very much as well:
"the walk will always turn into a swim
and the mattress is bound to stain"

This was simply, wonderful. =)

[Fabian G. Franklin]

I read this twice and the second time around I decided it was a metaphor within a metaphor giving me a wondering feeling over the whole, I like the line about not making waves, I'm a walking shift in the continental plates myself, leaving landslides and tsunamis in my wake. lol And so many things are done in the name of preservation...of sanity, of relationships, of the past. So many mistakes are made because it seemed the thing to do at the time, and those stains will never wash out, so be careful. A great read all the way around, very enjoyable.

[Cassandra]

I REALLY liked this. I come from NY so I totally identify with the frigid waters and how in the summer its almost an obsession to brave the water as high and as far as you can go although you've lost all feeling . I found this a fantastic metaphor for trying to get someone out of a bad situation/ relationship or habit, or watching someone fall into one. And then you threw in the wine/ mattress metaphor.. and I thought to myself ( they need a tempur-pedic.. b/c i think thats the commercial where the wine DOESN't spill ) .. but i digress :)

I liked how you tied the two images together. You never really wanted to go so deep in the cold water but once you're in .. its hard to get out.. same with the stain.. FANTASTIC.