Monday, September 6, 2021

The Deep Deep

Tell me a story
about vehicles falling

into the deep deep ocean,

my son murmurs at bedtime,

and I wonder

who told him the ocean is deep;

deep

deep.


Cars drift into the sea

of his 3-year-old soul

awaiting extrication,

seeking salvage.


He wants 

their stories told,

and he wants the telling

to take a while.


He wraps his four fingers 

around my two,

leaving his thumb free

to wiggle.


It writhes 

with each rescue attempt—

a rod for his imagination

to ground down 


into the reality 

of another failed escape.

It’s a wonder 

these cars can stay afloat,


buoyed above the thrashing waves

of typhoon tears.

Unexplored emotion

makes the waters unnavigable.


He trusts I know the way 

to their salvation,

and waits for the ending

with a smile.


When tired tires crawl ashore

crunching sand clutched

in whining gears and gaskets,

he knows his soul has survived the deep, again,


he coos.

Tell me 

the story

again.

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