Seeking My Stars Again

by Elizabeth Kate Switaj

Came down from the trains
Came past trash cans 
                cascading Coke cans
Crawled down through shattered shells
                     with pieces of moon

Spread arms over breakers
    and floated out until I could believe
 stars

 that finally glided towards JFK
but I was shivering
                and pulled my arms back
                    kicked back to shore

I’ll try swimming out again
when more scales have grown between
my legs you ripped apart
                       to better find me

from Magdalene & the Mermaids (Paper Kite Press, 2009)