Beautiful Shallows

I spent all summer
in those underwater caves
plunging depths I did not know existed.
The sparkling suffocation
of the truth
seeped through my veins
and lungs and filled the space
behind my eyes
until all I felt was heaviness
strange suspended life or death
gasping up for air and treading water
never more than seconds I allowed
before descending once again to drown
myself in all the salty glory.
Exhaustion and desire
poured together formed one lust
for beauty, goodness, truth,
An ocean vast, and wide, and deep
I have to learn to swim.
Somehow in this desperate dive
I missed the ghostly octopus
his wicked writhing nearer to the shore
and skittering sand crabs
indistinct and perfect
leaving magic patterns in the sand
and tiny purple sea shells
that get lost in my pockets
but are big enough
to change the world.
I lost my balance under water
and forgot how thrilling
to be captivated by
beautiful shallows.