Abalone​

Issue 13

I am
in the aftershock,
weep stepping stones of water,
implode in an oceanic tide,
become bottomless trench,
creature deep,
I cannotbreathe
swallow seismic saltwave bittersea,
oxygen-executioner’s blade
sharp,
icy slicing my lungs,
I fall into blue pressure
 
settle now without struggle into the sediment quiet,
ceiling of sun, filtered blue,
filtering the blues through my hair floating,
floating away from my body yet never leaving
the way I took leave of myself
when the news broke and so
 
I have left
I have gone to sea
I have sunk, stony shell,
consuming now the calm blue algae lullaby,
it is the only thing I allow myself,
the nacre song of the sea
 
as slowly around my body I rebuild my armor,
I re-shield my soft tissue with calcium carbonate,
layer by layer I diffract the light of my blue ceiling grave,
yet another self-burial,
cerebral reimagining of soul purpose
after yet again yet again yet again
 
his betrayal.

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Ruth Martinez has works published in Ofrenda Magazine, Lunaluna, Cordella Press, Poetry As Promised, Witchology Magazine, The Hopper, Black Moon Magazine and Ice Floe Press. She co-wrote an Indie book of poetry, Crow Moon, with her good comadre Anna Griego, and Bottlecap Press published her chapbook Root Women.

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