“Pantoum at Mercy-by-the-Sea”

The sea’s practicing her endless Tai Chi—
her attraction and aversion to the land.
I like to pretend she’s beckoning me
to follow her slow dance upon the sand.

In her attraction and aversion to the land, 
her endless sweep of carcasses to shore,
I find a dance within me on the sand
as I try not to think of endless wars.

As she sweeps her carcasses to shore,
I scoop the sea and see the stars,
trying not to think of endless wars,
not to let my arms reach out too far.

I scoop the sea and see the stars,
practicing an ancient martial art,
try not to let my arms reach out too far
as folks are gunned down in a supermart.

As I practice this ancient martial art—
open from within and play with waves—
folks are gunned down in a supermart.
and bodies are dumped into mass graves.

I open from within, playing with waves,
try to transform my body into prayer
for people being dumped into mass graves,
for more tears than even the wide sea can bear.