antarctica bound

by Karyn Huntting Peters



like the wind you passed through me as
i stood high upon the bow
arms outstretched, yes, and yours fell through mine
upon the sea’s lulling waltz.

i threw my magic shoes of oz overboard
into the tangled surf. we darted among the
deckchairs, my salt-watered dress clung
to me in the dark and we laughed.

the glaciers shone under the smooth
skin of the moon that night.
the smell of antarctica filled our veins as
we fearless sailed past icebergs.

strains of music from below and a
wave threw you against me in the salty sea spray.
pulling you into me, feeling your
heat the length of my body through the wet silk

i whispered, again passing through, eyes
floating in a lonely sea with your own,
a moment, an hour, this night, eternity, no
matter how little, how much time

no matter what freezing depths sleep
below, what death lay near
at hand, what dawn may never
come to my heart again,

without your presence, your heat,
there would be no life within my
breast, no beating of blood in my
heart, no breaking day in the east…

and with that, i tasted your kiss and
danced with you in under the heavens and
cried at the pain of how you felt
inside of me in the moonlight.

as the dark waters thundered over
us where we lay, signaling the coming of
antarctica, i pulled you deeper into and through
me and our tears were one with the ocean