largo the obbligato rolls
across my ear like
slow thunder

tympani atop the waves
crest and pop into droplets
at the apex

trapped underwater 
trapped underground:
subterranean rivers flow
across my face with
slithery tendrils,
kelp and salty agar

the melody sings my inability 
to breathe without gills 
this time around

once on shore, I am not certain
whether to fly, to run, or to flop about
in a death throe

I deem the sun most welcome
after the rain

cc: Chagall 2021