#7 Salt Water
Salt Water
maybe it will just be
warm, still water on the
skin of my face
washing away month-old kisses
and crossing paths without noticing
your step is where I stepped
70 seconds ago.
maybe it will just be
two steps in a
straight line, fractured
in the middle by a high tide
while I kneel
with a rosary between fingers.
10 beads of sweat
fly off my skin
when I pirouette under
the large arch in the hallway
of the church I grew up in.
maybe it is just that
I am nothing without sin,
without the hope: I’m on your mind.
now, it disappears
like water spinning down a drain.
maybe it will just be
my vision blurred by
damp eyes
and one deep salt water swim.
I can crash anywhere,
I can sleep anywhere
when all the noise begins to thin.
I have salt in my hair.
I have salt in my hair.
I have salt in my hair.
“Salt Water” touches on multiple experiences. I feel like I’ve been separating or forced to separate from so much all year, this isn’t about one single thing. This poem came to me a couple of months ago and originally told a different story, more of a sweater yearn. After editing it in its entirety, a new meaning formed, and I’ll leave it at that. Poetry is really good for that, I never like to explain too much.
Salt water is healing! It brings balance to our bodies. Its anti-inflammatory qualities discourage bacterial growth and rehydrate us by increasing electrolyte symmetry. Having salt in my hair after lying on a bed of sand or from simply being kissed by the ocean air is so precious to me. Something about it. And I haven’t danced in years but I still can do a perfect pirouette :’)
I wrote a few long paragraphs for this blog and finished a solid draft before scrapping the entire thing two nights ago. I was in the mood to write a poem more than a drawn out explanation of all the things I’ve been feeling and seeing and doing. This poem remains a draft and needs more editing before its final form, but it’s the only thing that feels true to me this month.
(I’m writing this while picturing the beach scene in Sweeney Todd, love. And the entire vibe of Chocolat, pure romantic bliss. AND the cute butterflies I used to get from Angus, Thongs, and Perfect Snogging which I watched last week—same feelings as Aquamarine.)
I loveee romance and sweetness. The smallest interaction will make me smile at the thought for days and hold me and kiss me through time and space. That’s all I want. This poem is not about that.
*song of the month*: Solange - Beltway
Lastly, I wrote and self published a book of poetry in 2023 titled Earth to Infinity. You can buy it in the “Shop” tab along with bookmarks and prints of my poetry, hand written and scanned by myself. If you enjoyed this blog or at least made it to the end, consider supporting me and purchasing an item (or a few). Thank you in advance ❤︎
Love 4ever,
Infinity