beside my sister, beside the sea by Ian Irwin

beside my sister, beside the sea

I push against the water sure to stay 

near     my own geometry

a moment        where I’m guarded 

from light

I’m alone and scared; our past

just air - the bend of space 

over grey-green water—

gelatinous photographs 

measure out runes

indifferent now           a life has gone

it won’t come back

you’ve conspired to go

here     I arrange stones

covering your absence

each one’s gravity turning

to cut both my feet

Ian Irwin was selected as an Out-Spoken Press Emerging Poet in 2022. His poetry has been published in Poetry Review, Propel, berlin lit, Carmen et Error, The Alchemy Spoon, Full House, Outcrop and Trasna among others. Ian’s work appears in the Poetry Pulpit and Propel anthologies and is soon to appear in Acid Bath’s Night Terrors anthology. He is currently on the Word Space writers' programme with Literature Works. Ian lives and works in Bristol.