washed over

awakened by sailors milky tears

from depths beyond the sun

she rose red ribbon bound

born of shell and bone,

sand shifted

muted fish schools scattered

his embrace she sought,

scarecrow masted vessel

dashed upon sharp geology,

to safety they leaped,

cruel sky streaked by storm

and acoustic rumble,

body battered in dinghy lay

hand outstretched

fingertips testing jagged surface,

light shone and radiated

in her eyes as close rose

long limbed form kelp caressed

finding him now face down

closer towards him,

lifting his frame from sea to shore

air sharp on lungs

heart pounding,

ship exploded a desolate fireball

as she bowed over him

lips to his,

spluttering coughing

found himself exhausted

and willing in her eyes

bonded by kiss

in eternities grasp

sailor, sea, passion, love, desire

water, woman, sailing, dream

illustration 9

ants loud enough

close to his head,

reprieve of summer cool

as he lay under his cart

pushed for close to a mile

finding geography

awkward to place

despite being his city once,

his mind a squoze larvae

thoughts brief as a snakes hiss,

irritable tongue of weeds,

lying still

close to impossible,

underpass old concrete walls

tagged by youth

more used to shooting than talking

overhead cars heat and horses,

smells nasal reverberations

he would feel quieter

if at the bottom of a lake

where on it’s silted bed

with fishes as companions

devouring algae from his closed  eyes,

heat would be gone

and his mind would make sense,

the moon did not bring night rain,

eventually he stood

rocking on heels

than began to walk

this time he would find the start

of his journey