To the Salty Body

by The Cowl Editor on April 4, 2019


Poetry


by Kiley McMahon ’20

It rubs against the whole of my mouth,
covering my perfect teeth,
and my palat struck tongue.

It continues downward,
moving rapidly into my lungs,
which are already weak,
as they have collapsed,
once before.

A woman drowning in the ocean
Photo courtesy of pexels.com

It lines the whole of my rib cage,
and then is excavated out of my small intestine.

It tastes salty,
and my head feels dizzy,
as my thoughts revolve,
in a centripetal acceleration.

As it caves inward I gasp for air,
and then,
I let it lay me down peacefully,
as I float on by.

Finally,
my years of suffering are over,
as the salty body has won the battle.

It continued to creep,
down my lean and stern body,
until it took hold,
and I let it take control,
of my limp and hopeless body.

That is the best way,
to describe,
my losing battle,
to this salty body.