Paul Ilechko
Returning to Water
Imagine a situation the world
that you live in forms a grid
there are areas of growth
and areas of decrepitude there are areas
of sweetness and there pigs that sleep
in the filth all of them together
all connected by lines of varying thickness
it’s night now and the moon is almost full
I touch the tips of your fingers with mine
I count each one as I touch them
as I count everything that exists
on the grid trying not to succumb
to the fear and anger that is enveloping me
that is enveloping us you tell me
that we should return to the water
it’s where we came from originally
before we had fingers and thumbs
before we had speech
the light that fell from the skies started fires
and they are burning in all directions
we are told that there are only a certain number
of years left before it will be too late
but it’s already too late. because we
are never going to change we are dressing
one last time we have light clothes
and comfortable shoes
and the ocean beckons us.
