Kareyn Hellmann, Senior, Strategic Communication, Creative Writing Minor, Paris, Texas
Our love is like
t h u n d e r
Howling on the seafront
While a tornado tears towards the heavens, snarling
And fish burrow deeper into the depths, swimming
And waves wage war against the beach, slashing
And shells scatter on the sand, searching
And gulls cry against the sky, shouting.
And the beach has cleared out,
Minus a single person – that’s me –
Walking towards the tornado – that’s you.
And that’s what it feels like sometimes,
When my hair whips backward, caught in gusts
Far too heavy for me to bear alone.
When your eyes carry me to places I’ve never been before,
It’s the misty blue of a sea battling itself, foam flying.
But when I wade into the waves, thunder rolls and the storm calms.
It wraps me in a cocoon of gentle tides, lapping at my knees.
I play in the surf as it slides in, then fall into the water,
Letting it soak me to my skin, kiss me again and again.
I feel safe here, like no one could ever take me away from you.
That’s what it feels like to love you.
Thunder in every gaze,
Swelling tides in every touch.