Over and under
I bob through waves,
praying for still waters.

The rot in my bones
hasn’t sunk me yet—
yet I’m wayfinding,
losing sight
and finding it again.

Catching the silver of the sea
in sunlight’s reflection,
I feel the breath of whales
as they breach
and exhale.

I drift among cephalopods,
and in between the spines of sea urchins—
each one urging me
so swiftly
back ashore.

And I wonder
if we,
humans,
are a tragic
flaw in nature.