Flâneuse from aus

I. Haemostasis

We step out of the car

stretch spines like fevered cats

Luggage left in the boot

Race on beach breeze, promising stories of cliffs

seal drama

and shipwrecks

told in every tongue.

Away from insect swarms

summer after summer

wave after wave kind of ease,

they bite and chew on this town with mouths

of sweet disease.

Onto the beach, trip over shoes

fling off socks and burrow

toes into the grains

let loose curls

braids wind-frayed.

Eyes dare

breathe air

souls pound, feet dig

into sand wet then waist deep

bodies freeze

crash with ease.

II. Inflammation

Flippers unfurl and we push

arms stretch to pull

our full lungs

into deep blue.

Cooling cheeks

panic red

roughened

         float like clams on the silky seabed

Dance with veins aglow from sunlight

whisper back to the water

take these thorns

take these tears

exploding skies

pitiful cries

let wounds sting.

III. Proliferation

breathe                       breathe

Dive and grow scales of phosphorescent green and indigo

curls soak

After the healing, we float

rocked sincerely by deep blue.

Vertebrae knocking over each wave

hearts bared to the sky.

Ocean yawns beneath us

she has space for everyone

loved

                                                                           alone

                                                                                                                       alive.

IV. Maturation

A gull whistles and twitters

above the rusted fishermen at the pier

soft wings curve

the mountain’s breath kisses feather

carry the bird out to sea.

I used to wish for wings

to take us up into that celestial sphere.

Smile at the cooling caress                         

flick water at one another,

let go of my hand, watch me sink

goodbye

The ocean is boundless

and so am I.