Riptide

 

like a river after a storm

strong, unseen currents

 

leave me gasping for breath

for safety

for some glimmer of hope

 

the decision feels like a riptide

searing the fabric of my assuredness

 

and my solidity feels tenuous

along this shoreline

 

my strong banks may shudder

like a river after a storm

 

the decision feels like a riptide

carrying survivors

far away from shelter

 

farther still – from the breasts

of our grandmothers and aunties