shield
as we step toward
the ocean
you grab my hand
for the first time.
once inside
you wrap
arms around me
as if i had warmth vast enough.
i have little for you. i’m
the one seeking
the center of stone
in hard rain.
i leave this body
for you to use, but
already i’m back
on shore.
—
2022
notes: edited by karen cooper / in college i read a line about the dry center of rock in hard rain, or so I recall. i can’t seem to find that poem to cite it here, but know, whoever you are, that decades on your image still defines the peace i am looking for.