on waves in the daytime

by Maddie Agne

We waited until the dead of night

not waiting on anyone in particular

maybe my grandfather

and

I remember the sky

 

maybe it was a ceiling

covered in flowers

or stars

or eight glasses of champagne

and

The beach is dark and empty

 

this is the worst pain I have ever felt

in the darkness I don’t know where my parents are

except for when my mom sits next to me

and my dad settles in

and we look at the moon

 

the moon that doesn’t deserve emotion

and he is stumbling over and over again

that damned moon

that damned third eye

 

but maybe she’s a big engagement ring

like the one my grandmother wears

and

doesn’t always remember

she’s on a break

a street past main street

 

smoking a blunt on a balcony

and maybe there’s a murderer on that street

maybe we don’t know about it

and

 

then I’m back on this balcony

at this point it’s almost like World War Z

and I’m just a little boy in a power rangers costume

not feeling very powerful at all

and

 

there’s an old dead tree in the backyard

and it’s never waking up

so weburn it

and watch the moon

 

knowing that the tree will never get to watch the sunrise

or grow in the middle of a nightclub

or hear the waves

or hear his daughter

and his granddaughter

crying

over the waves

just daughters of the sea

 

and maybe it’s not fun

but I’m growing the most

from dead roots

and the dead moon

 

and maybe¨just for a moment¨

my first priority was losing myself

before I fall

 

but I don’t remember falling

And I know I’m not scared to fall

Not with the branches beating at my back

Sticking through my legs

I’m not afraid of the jump

Or the fall

just the landing

on waves in the daytime