giving back and forth, but give to me

Maeva Ambrose || Spring 2021

you know where the water meets the land? 

without the sea, what would the cliffs look like
? 
don’t you think we take? from 
or with 
each other 

what do your eyes open and see, as I clench mine–
deeper, darker, into oblivion– 
do they see in the deep? 
can you read in sapphire? 

talk to the deep, for me 
rage, writhe, speak, for me 

i’ll sit with the seaweed 

if i could breathe water 
i would for you 
I’d take it in and 
turn it into rain 

if only you could let me breathe you in
and spit you all back out 
or maybe i can exchange you for something better 

what if it’s not rebirth 
but we go into the water and give to them
(who is them?) 
and then they give to us 

what if instead 
we can release but remember 
not cleansed 
not new 
refreshed because we can remember 

to sink or to swim 
such a narrow line between them 
tread carefully 
to look into the Blue. 
Give something back to me.