The Relevance Of The Shoreline

[From Jorie Graham “The creeping relevance of the shoreline” in New World]

—

The relevance of the shoreline brings its own edge
I remember this is where you come to fill up again
ocean sounds in the act of replenishing going coming
lines of retreat and advance all in one underfoot
better yet laid down length of spine and best give in
give up give yourself back to whatʻs been emptied out
spilled into the world since you first emerged it’s
a simple act like a cup overflowing at the lip while
above all this the moon’s tug of war with your own
blood stops up all speech though not everyone agrees
sometimes I stand at the edge of the known world
amidst the wreckage of getting and spending ground
down as if it were sand when we say gathering place
this is what we mean it’s what we get leftover
bento containers among the detritus I want to believe
we’ll snap out of it make things good but I feel
outnumbered by ourselves a sense of the sacred
eroded washed up I say less and less anymore
like an old hermit monk poet keep myself to
myself scratch a few words on the walls
of the cave smile when mountains disappear
behind clouds remember the shoreline