Island
Tara Deal
That panic of sadness
upon finding yourself
out in the ocean without
after the snorkel cruise has left,
comes over the flat in London
lost down the side street:
landlocked, yes, but still
more dark than safe
when the skyline turns violet
and green
and there's no hope
that this could be that
haven of a hotel room
made up to suit yourself
with the concierge offering oysters, even pearls, asking
where you've been, what happened,
if you need anything
this evening in
the smallest possible
floating world.
~~~~~
Tara Deal is a writer and editor in New York City. Her poetry has appeared in magazines such as failbetter, Flyway, nthposition, and West Branch, and she is the author of the poetry chapbook Wander Luster (Finishing Line Press). Her novella, Palms Are Not Trees After All, won the 2007 Clay Reynolds Novella Prize from Texas Review Press. Find her online at www.taradeal.com.