Untitled

Untitled

You couldn’t choose,

or you might remind me

that you did not choose to die

with your sub stuck on the reef.

You lit a piece of match and the fire

slowly licked a thin fuse, hurrying you

to open the hatch and dive. The moon’s

in the west, accusing you of failing the attack.

The sky grew gray, inhaling the dawn light; un-

concerned. Water pierced limbs. The reef

gnawed your ankles to drag you deeply—

“Reach that shore you see there, boy!”

you yelled to your crew, or you tried

but couldn’t, as you gulped water

in confusion, tongue’s fumbled

with thirst like iron sand.