(One! Two! Three! Four!)
Red tide skyline;
Every whale in the sea
Washes up to
My feet fully flensed
And barely breathing—
I am the whaler,
I've outgrown these innards.
I am the whaler,
Cleaning guts from gutters.
I am the whaler,
Our vertebrae's tethered.
I am the whaler,
Look! Here come the buzzards.
Climbing trees older than anyone alive
We braid our intestines together,
Spitting teeth into each other’s mouths
Back and forth until we make a smile.
Until we make a smile.