My Name
The ship rocks gently
in the night.
The sky is painfully clear-
stardust and moonlight throwing out
stark shadows.
She is alone on the deck,
wandering among the silken tents
and cushions-
leftovers
from the afternoon's celebrations.
The moon is edging,
ever so close,
to the blue horizon.
She
pauses
at the edge of the ship
and looks out
over the ocean.
Then she looks down
at the
glinting
object in her hand.
Cold.
Dangerous.
Sharp.
She has a decision to make.
Gathering her resolve,
she spins,
marching
into
the
ship's
belly,
gliding along the dark hallway towards the
huge,
ornate
door.
The door opens
silently
and she slips inside.
A single window lets in light, enough
to see.
Her heart
catches
in her chest.
She walks to the bed and lifts
the dagger,
closing her eyes.
In the
pause
before
the plunge,
a whisper
reaches her ear.
She tilts her head,
disbelieving,
desperate,
hopeful
'till the end.
And,
against all odds,
it comes again.
A queer, sad
little smile
melts onto her face.
That word,
that name
was all it took.
The dagger
drops
to her side.
And with one last,
longing
look,
she turns
and runs.
Out the door.
Back onto the deck.
Just in time to see the Sun's
first rays
announcing its approach.
Her feet carry her to the stern,
facing the coming dawn.
She steps
up
onto the railing,
the wind blowing past her
filling her ears with tales
of far off lands.
As the first golden arch
peaks
above
the watery blue,
she leaps,
arms eagle spread,
into the water,
dissolving
among
the
w
a
v
e
s.