Scientist say Orca possess

an emotional intelligence

far superior to ours –

which makes me wonder

if this stone in my chest

would be a hundred times

larger if I were a whale –

which makes me wonder

if I would cease to breathe,

if it is possible to be crushed

from the inside out –

which makes me wonder

if Orca ever feel like drowning,

whether they listen to their heartbeat

in the dark depths of the ocean,

like I listen to mine in shallow

bathwater, echoing off the sides –

which makes me wonder

if poems about grief

are just our primitive versions

of guttural howls which can be heard

for miles underwater.

 

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Poem: © Kristiana Reed 2020

Between the Trees UK

Between the Trees US

Signed copies on Etsy