“But I will hold on hope
And I won’t let you choke
On the noose around your neck…”
“The Cave,” Mumford & Sons
i lie in the wake of ships that have sailed
a creature of water and a being who failed
when called to walk on water
i cannot
though as a young man and life guard
teaching children to swim in a pool
i had to admit i cannot even float
water accepts me and pulls me down
what a silly thing to be called Aquarius
as if aligning stars reach out to mortals
dialing up our lives like winding a watch
or rowing a boat across a freckled universe
rain like falling stars teases earth-bound souls
floods remind humans sculpted from dirt
that everything can be washed away by gods
baptisms imposed by cloudless celestial storms
i lie in the wake of ships that have sailed
a creature of water and a being who failed
planets turn on their axes as their orbits erode
elliptical spinning determination to hold course
water birthed me and is my living grave you see
swimming and drowning are my perpetual wake
an axe cannot split water and dust rises under footfall
while through dreams each morning i return to day
star light star bright may be a planet long since gone
like listening to the orchestra’s music close-eyed
i believe in starlight and the sound of the ceaseless tide
filled with the fear of never walking this beach again
tasting salt water filling my lungs against this peace
of stars moons planets rivers lakes oceans and sky
when called to rise from this drowning
i will try
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