Sea Oleena - Vinton, La

and anything held against the right kind of light looks blessed
but all the early evening shadows couldn't disguise this unrest
and the nights, in depth, are infinite as always
but the days, in length, are only ever days

so we take to the waves
and we swallow the salt
and our bodies do swell
but our shadows stay sharp
still the silence is soft
where the sentences stop

and you were aglow, and i was alone, and so overwhelmed
and were we really leaving shadows hidden behind our past selves?
you were so unwell, with arms outstretched the whole way
but the long limbs fell
in falling, found their place

and then at the end of the eleventh day
elevated only by the grace of an airplane
i became aware of a change

and i slept through the night, first
lighter than a leaf upon a pool of water
where i sunk like a boulder
blurry was the line between the deep and deeper
and i landed on the cold floor
heavy in the hallway of a house, familiar
so i bolted out the back door
kicked the silver key beneath a mound of black dirt
and you took me on a long drive
eyes were all alight and on the road so injured
and you parked us on an incline
climbing out the window with the words i'd whispered

holier eyes couldn't hold you away from the light
holier arms couldn't hold all the darkness you hide