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.

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