Flush and Flame
Hatfield, PA
2024, Senior, Poetry & Spoken Word
The waves crashed with the breaking of ceramic plates
antiques in pieces
at the bottom of the sea
Dive into the surf to feel that cool brush upon my skin
the kiss of iceberg tears
score through flesh
freeze this heart
ventricles wave their eel-tails in a swell
of cerulean hail
I remember that the world is melting and all of us will drown
a world ended in flame
so I warm my hands
over the campfire driftwood gone alight, glowing green
as the fatal hunger sets in
Gorged on broken dreams at the ends of the sea where the silver
fish splash back and forth
and thrash on the burning sand
And when I speak to you, and when our fingers touch
when gills shiver for want of air
choked in bitter smoke
is my face alight with a blush
or a burn?
Reflection
I base my writing and creative pursuits off of the world around me, specifically my interactions with nature. I am sure I'm not alone in my love of the feeling of being at the beach, where the world almost feels too good to be true. That sense of vitality that I get from the sound of the waves and the feeling of the sun on my face is what inspired this poem. I wanted to express my appreciation for the world around me, but also emphasize the sense of transience I feel, knowing that extreme changes are taking place all over the Earth, and knowing their consequences. This poem is meant to celebrate the ocean, while also mourning it and the environmental balance that we as humans have been and are upsetting. Along with that mourning is a sense of helplessness in the face of what is happening, but I am currently trying to look at the larger picture and what I as an individual can do. Within my community, I am eager to call for more sustainable business practices and policies in government. It is a long and often frustrating road to sustainability, but I believe that we should all do our part to fight for the planet we have been given, and I am currently looking for more and more ways to do that.