Erosion – Cassia Song

EROSION

shock,

———–they draped me in a blanket
———————-though i’m not sure when
———————————or why
———————————only that they did
———————————because i clung greedily to it.

denial,
on a warm summer’s morning
i’ll wake
i’ll sit up
i’ll turn to look over my shoulder
and stay there staring at your drowsy face
the image develops like film in a chemical solution
when i get up i’ll plant a soft kiss on both your eyelids
they’ll flicker gently.

in the kitchen i’ll set the table for two
i won’t bother with coffee
neither of us liked it anyway
well then, pumpkin soup and banana cake it is
the regular routine
the same we do every morning
yet this time i won’t lay out the morning paper
because the news headline tells lies
you said people shouldn’t lie
you were always right, let’s not read it this morning.

that evening you’ll stand by the window
the light waltzing on opalescent skin
moon beams meticulously woven into silk hair
you’ll play your violin
the same song you always did
The Carnival of the Animals: The Swan, R.125: XIII
you liked Camille Saint-Saëns
i liked The Carnival of the Animals
it was as simple as that.

at night i’ll walk the same path
the same we walk every night
but this time i’ll take the long way around
the one that winds up with sand between my toes
the one welcoming salt air to infest my lungs
the one with crashing waves that sync with your heartbeat.

——on a warm summer’s night i bury myself under the waves
——to dig myself closer, a little bit closer to your heartbeat.

anger,

i lie there, listening
the world choruses a dissonant melody
it’s not silent.

i listen to the waves
they rhythmically, violently, mercilessly
deal blow,
——after blow,
———–after blow,
——————–upon the pitiable shore.

——i close my eyes, envisioning;
——the waves are me
——the shore is everyone.

tonight they accompany me;
calcitite offers her cloak of woven wrath
silica sings tunes with melodious malice
clay clamours about, fuming with fury

——i welcome them, let their antics
——swathe and wrap me about
——until i am no more
———————-but a stone
——————————-upon the pitiable shore.

bargaining,

that morning the day dawns on a calm sea
i clutch the hands of hysteria
and plead at their feet
if calcitite would accept back her cloak
if silica could un-sing his ballads
if clay could rest his feet
could i be returned to me, of what once was mine?

——————————————————-please?

depression,

that evening i laid bare on the shore
submerged myself in lamenting waves
they stole calcitite’s cloak
flooded and drained my ears of silica’s tunes
washed over frantic footprints – remnants of clay’s clamouring

——i welcome them, let their antics
——flush and wring me about
——until i am no more
———————-but a bare body
——————————upon the pitiable shore.

acceptance.

that night i took a shower
turned the knob the full way to the left
invited the scalding water to burn away
whatever sediment was left clinging to my skin.

everything will erode
o v e r – t i m e

Cassia Song
Year 13
Otumoetai College, Tauranga