Such a wide blue mouth,
the ocean bares hereabout,
sun-glittered sandy teeth,
and even an old rickety pier tongue,
that speaks the local dialogue
of fishermen and pelicans below,
beggar beaks agape.
My response is always
an awe-struck strain of mute.
White vowels of shrieking terns.
Sail-boat consonants,
rigging fluttering like tonsils.
 

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about the author:
My work has appeared recently in The Xavier Review, South Carolina Review, Bellevue Literary Review and Birmingham Poetry Review and is upcoming in Confrontation and The Malahat.  

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