By ZOE ALARCON
When you were young
You would approach your mother’s bed
Afraid of an intruder
Now you approach it
Afraid of yourself
Hoping she can save you from eternal tinnitus
Drown it forever with a peaceful sonata
You’re like an immortal grain of sand
soaring around the globe
Unaffected by the harsh wind,
The sour desert,
forest fires, hurricanes
Lulled by the melody down glissando glaciers
Before the familiar screeching returns
Your head rushes
like a nauseous meteor
Memories of life as a sand grain dissolve
Their remains settle on the sun
And sometimes fall as mist
vanishing when you touch
Your eyes are misty
And your heart is about to flood
Your attention is too light
Like ripples in a lake made by a stone,
Which from that point forward will betray you
Maybe If you just flick your wrist
a millisecond before it leaps
from your fingers…
You won’t start a fire fueled by water
needy and relentless
Like a howling child determined to prove her true innocence
As she grips a crisp blade
Let it Flow through you
R
E
Enticed by reckless tides
But some are so strong they sweep you right out to sea
Zoe Alarcon ’25 is a staff writer
zalarcon25@amherst.edu
Bela Achaibar ’25 is a staff artist
bachaibar25@amherst.edu