ocean

Wounded
Pit in my stomach
An ocean
Salt water
My… mouth
Parted

Crying
Can’t breathe – 
An ocean
                            gills

Skin
Spoils
Slit
Silt
Scales?
Salt.

Pit in my stomach
An ocean
Swimming
But I’m tired
                      And I’m tired
              i’m
Tired

tired…

              i’m
drowning

Thin skin
Hurting
Bruised, CRIMSON, dark

The pit in my stomach
  ocean
Sharks, my heart
The fishermen
Crave it
Torn open
Salt and smut
Nothing else.

© 2025 N.S. Graven
| Image by Matt Hardy on Unsplash