1.
We lay in rows of shadows
dead fish washed ashore
flat like old spoons
our souls, reflecting sunsets,
a burnt caramel tankini.
2.
Haunting! The marks –
lining our self loathing, stitches
of flesh, paler than others.
Zig zags, stinging.
Late autumn, still there.
3.
Dotted skulls,
My childhood. The eyes—
persist to stare. The stripes,
imprisoning the heart, the breasts.
Melted ice cream on sidewalks.
4.
Strings unleashing
temptations, sweet breath.
Those women are not
ashamed
to die.
5.
I have tried them all,
The cotton, the nylon,
absorbing water, rolling in sand,
sticky flakes of broken glass.
We all drown in the end.