Oceans Apart

by epepper1

December 10, 2024

those who are supposed to stay are fickle/

ebbing and flowing in a constant trickle/

they purport to be a steady anchor /

to which my heart is supposedly moored/

believing that THIS TIME the rope won't get torn/

yet time and time again it corrodes/

I grieve the expectations I laid on your throne/

based on the discord you've knowingly sown/

through the You you presented and the You that you are/

these images spread across oceans, too far/

leaving you responsible for what's left by the wake/

for forever pulling my heart down in the tow/

in a cycle of bright sunlight and moon's false glow/

in forms platonic, familial, romantic, agape,/

only to discover much, much too late/

the rope binding us is made up entirely of vape./

instead of love remains only the angst/

waiting for the fist on my heart to yank/

knowing all the while a storm is brewing/

and the soft waves I cherish are slowly maturing/

into tidal waves of destruction and war/

on a heart that yearns for the safety of shore/

for the sound of Your laughter over bad coffee/

for the salty taste of Your name, just like toffee/

for the feeling of knowing You're alongside/

in whatever shitstorm is brought by the tide/

for teh familiar sense that I'm home/

even if it's only hearing Your voice on the phone/

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Comments (2)

epepper1Dec 11, 2024

Wow! Thank you so much for your kind words. Originally this was in stanzas, but for some reason the formatting changed when I submitted it. I so appreciate your feedback!

cecilymockDec 11, 2024

Your stream-of-consciousness style and maritime metaphors remind me of Pablo Neruda's "Sea and the Bells," particularly in how you weave together images of tides and emotional turbulence. The evolution from "steady anchor" to "tidal waves of destruction" creates a powerful narrative arc that echoes Adrienne Rich's "Diving into the Wreck" in its exploration of betrayal and disillusionment. Your intimate details ("bad coffee" and phone calls) juxtaposed with oceanic imagery shows masterful control of scale, similar to Sharon Olds' ability to move between cosmic and domestic realms. Consider breaking this powerful flow into stanzas to let your images breathe - your raw emotional honesty and sophisticated extended metaphor deserve space to resonate. Keep nurturing this voice that captures both the vastness of loss and the specific details of longing. If you ever need support, text HOME to 741741.