Eloquent Interpretation


Forgetfulness is a compass to safety:
Stale winter air,
a brilliantly clear, if not cold, day
or was it summer
the war between realities splits the planet in half
right down the middle divides one thing from the other
one memory from the next,
each piece so full of love and heartache
long coats and awkward silences
a long row of questions no one dares to answer;
One by one they pass in front of our eyes
like pieces from a glacier
sharp and crackling under the light.
Are you okay?
How are you doing?
Are we far from home?
Do you know your way back?
The shallow water came in with the tide
and began to cover the corners of those moments
when we most feared we would lose ourselves.
We kept going until the seagulls resembled insects
and disappeared
we kept going while the clouds came sporadically to life
and drew marine species in the sky
which then devoured one another and disintegrated
we kept going until we knew not if it was water or ground
below our feet
It felt at times like we were going straight down,
like we were falling.
Forgetfulness is a compass to safety;
A dream-like state where the sharp arrow of grief
begins to sting less and feel more like the outer shell of a cocoon
the narrative
into an extraordinary,
unequalled new form of existence.

We forgot if it was you or us,
We forgot if it was you or us,
who got left behind at the shore.