the west coast sea doesn’t welcome you
it resists like a creature
pressing its lips tight
while you force yourself down
its frothy throat
into its insides like
feeding yourself to it
and in this act
at mercy to its deep hunger
the glass-clear teal
of waves washing over and again
foam aerated,
churning and so
open and un-open
like a door is
so Other
while you do your best dabbling
at its tonsils keeping
all your questions locked
behind your teeth, you are
simply salty
bedraggled and grinning
within this wild world