" When you left I walked
into the ocean. Not to
drown but to be held

by something
reluctant
to let go. Don’t

make this bigger
than it is, which is big
enough to swallow

whales
and civilizations.
I joined

the blue, I was blue.
And when I looked
down, I shattered

and reformed
so many times, you know, I couldn’t catch
a clear look at myself. "

― Leila Chatti