salt

The world around us is burning, and we are face to face in the swimming pool

I’m looking at the wall, wondering how long I can tread in the deep end before turning back

Your suit is light blue, criss-crossed around your back

I remember tying it around your neck because you couldn’t reach

It’s light blue, the color of a robin’s egg, the kind you’re not supposed to touch or else the mother will abandon it

The sun is my accomplice, the scapegoat for my red cheeks

There is ice in my veins and you could melt it

But then water would fill my lungs

To tell you the honest truth, I wouldn’t mind

Not even a little bit