How we found ourselves unchained at the shore
We saw the clouds pass. They must seek
to watch the moon rise &, see, she is here.
Is she not a beauty? & see how she glows.
We follow with mouth, hungry for sweetness.
The moon sees the sea roaring away at her
chains—daring the shore with the wrath
of her waves, seeking to break her bounds,
lift off the earth's jealous embrace
to those hungry skies & kiss the hem
of her lover's skirts. We follow,
with eyes hungry for wonder—
our feet tangled in dirt & rotten leaves,
blunt trauma clinging to midriff & bone,
fingers interlocked, a net to catch love
& light for we want that desire.
We stumble into rainbows, butterflies
escaping cocoons, tadpoles rejecting
puddles for waterlilies, & when we arrive,
the sea holds the moon in her bosom
& there is awe—wild & holy, joyful
& soft & at our feet, our chains fall free.
Osahon Oka
Osahon Oka is a Nigerian of Bini/Kwale descent. He holds a B. A in English and Literary Studies. His writing can be found on Neurological, Perhappened magazine, Libretto Magazine, and elsewhere. His writing is forthcoming on Down River Road Review, Ghost Heart Lit and Lit Quarterly. A Best of the Net Nominee, he serves as Review Correspondent on Praxis Magazine. His debut, a collection of short stories, is forthcoming on Praxis Books. He can be reached on twitter: @osahonoka
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