THE DUNES


will see it differently: not a bird,

but violet is an invasive species

she can’t fly

i think if i palm the pulse of the waves long enough,

they will erode the hard parts of me

crunch iceplants between my canine teeth

and dig my toes into the sand,

the tide rises and falls

and with it shifts my surety

tugs a fistful of my tangled hair,

wretched with saltwater and iceplant- flower perfumed

sand leaks into every crevice of my body: it permeates the motion

the waves of my brain


current pulls back from the shore 

baring naked the beach

she is stripped loveless

droplets of judgment collect on my lashes and sting my eyes

an invasive species


nested high up in the dunes, i bury my naked body among the sand and limestone

you’ll never find me.