"Along the Brink of the Sea" by Tobi Alfier

Along the Brink of the Sea

Night descends over the coast.
Dark birds swirl in the air like ashes
as the moon begins to show its cubist face.

She counts the waves in whispers
while she waits, her ruby dress darkening
into shadow.

Quiet laughter unseen on the paths
behind her, the magic of humid air
mixed with the strange hollowness

of cotton-ball clouds.
Her bones creak like anchored boats
but she knows he doesn’t care

and he is walking a long way
to get to her — her past,
soon to be part of her future.

She’d thought she was done dragging
herself through other people’s stories
and her own — who the hell knew . . .

She’s been call Auntie all her life,
and while bloodlines are a curious puzzle
he’s not part of any of them at all.

Tobi Alfier

Tobi Alfier’s credits include Arkansas Review, The American Journal of Poetry, Gargoyle, James Dickey Review, Louisiana Literature, Permafrost, Washington Square Review. She is co-editor of San Pedro River Review (www.bluehorsepress.com).

Headshot: JC Alfier

Photo Credit: Staff