kora feels the tug, the nudge to go under

as she slips through the crashing waves,

the intoxicating pull of darkness taking hold

securing its grasp to her ankle with a slip knot

as she surrenders herself fully to the black of night

her heavy cable knit sweater is pregnant with saltwater

and her silk wrap skirt billows around her

as suddenly the knot tightens further, into her flesh

but she feels nothing, has felt nothing for years

ever since she choked down her feelings

when the burden of being had grown unbearable,

with her soul left broken and her heart pounding in her throat—

she hid her body in layers upon layers

left alone without protections except for a plan

as she tied her hair back on the beach,

walking barefoot into the tide for the last time.

-Kristen Mattison I:23 am

28 December 2024