the water is so heavy that i could skip
across the surface like a stone
i could bounce one-two-three
if i were lighter
but the water can’t bear my weight
any more than the earth could
so my lungs fill with thick
warm sweet salty water
i must be drowning
in amniotic fluid
so close to
rebirth
but the fire burning through
my marrow through my bones
makes cinders in my blood
the fire wants cleansing
to cast off the cycle
of birth and rebirth
burning and drowning
at the same time
i close my eyes
i think of you
i open my eyes
i think of you
