he kissed like
he was drowning:
she threw him
one life raft
after another.
his head sank
under the waves
as he flailed his arms
in desperate circles.
fingers clenching
and un-clenching,
he snatched the air,
found nothing solid.
bobbing to the surface
one more time,
both hands outstretched
like a penitent,
he plummeted
to the depths.
she couldn’t save him,
and cried as
he disappeared.
when only his bubbles
of breath remained
and she knew
he was gone,
she turned her
small craft around,
and went home
to the harbor,
just in time for dinner
and a few cocktails.
Artwork by: Maryam Baniasadi
