the mother ocean who etches upon her paper child
your ocean of will upon fresh paper press
etch into me and unleash your distress
with years of fine tracing made you an echo
a handcrafted creation who couldn’t say no
its eyes and hands scratched into existence
you even etched in a lack of resistance!
but after years of tracing the paper wore
a scratch so deep in the paper it tore
ink ocean alone needed someone to use
tore into paper, lighting the fuse
your ocean felt left, reaching to be closer
but starting a rip, rapidly unfurled her
maybe later in life she will visit the sea
think of the waves and ponder in tea
a bittersweet love of the salty sick air
some foolish regret? instant despair?
maybe she remembers the fragility of spring
the tears, the pain and the sore love within
maybe she’ll cry with stomach-pit regret
hopefully, she has learned to forget
maybe she’s grateful we hesitated to love
maybe we’re safe, held in stars above
