X. The Bottom of the Sea

Part of a poetry novella

If you asked me to wait beneath the waves,
I’d sink without a second breath,
And let the salt, the weight, the caves
Make quiet company of death.

The water holds me soft and tight,
Its arms both cradle and consume,
Yet still I wait, though day turns night,
And every shadow starts to bloom.

I’ve learned the language of the deep,
The drifting songs, the siren’s wail,
Yet never once have I let sleep
Unfasten me from love’s old tale.

For should you swim to where I stay,
Beneath the dark, beneath the blue,
You’d find me there without delay
I’d hold my breath, and wait for you.

Reviews

[Tan-90]

What a delicate poem about quiet endurance of love, even in the face of despair and isolation. The imagery of the ocean—both cradling and consuming—creates a duality between comfort and destruction, much like love itself..
Beautiful read, I felt your sadness deeply though your words...Thank you.