Our Mother, The Ocean

by Melanie Blatt

find me by the sea

ocean spray blessing my skin with its sticky kiss

the sand molded to my flesh and stuck to the palms of my hands

this day like all the rest is good and whole. 

the world is burning, the oceans warming, and it is loud but here it is quiet

the ocean is a woman and she knows. 

i am a child when we play

walking deep into her mouth as she takes a breath 

running in small steps towards shore as she lets it out

we laugh as i let her catch me

her warm embrace licking at my calves as a lioness cleans her youth

“you've gotten so big” she says

tears bead my eyes when i realize how long it’s been

i give her my hand and she takes it

the world quiets

and i begin to pray