I Was Thinking About The Ocean

I was thinking about the ocean when you said water

When you said pain

I thought daughter

I was thinking about the desert when you said cactus

When you said mother

I thought sadness

I was thinking about winter when you said frost

When you said daughter

I thought lost

I was thinking about sap when you said amber

When you said mother

I thought anger

I was thinking about peacocks when you said eyes

When you said daughter

I thought lies

I was thinking about stillness when you said ice

When you said mother

I thought sacrifice

I was thinking about shells when you said crab

When you said daughter

I thought trap

I was thinking about falling when you said cliff

When you said mother

I thought grief

I was thinking about blood when you said tick

When you said daughter

I thought addict

I was thinking about wolves when you said wild

When you said mother

I thought child

I was thinking about foxes when you said chase

When you said daughter

I thought erase

I was thinking about skulls when you said bone

When you said mother

I thought home

I was thinking about the earth when you said quake

When you said daughter

I thought take

I was thinking about puddles when you said rain

When you said mother

I thought pain

I was thinking about mother when you said daughter

When you said pain

I thought underwater

I was thinking about cycles when you said complete

When you said matrilineal

I thought repeat

Suzanne Richardson earned her M.F.A. in Albuquerque, New Mexico at the University of New Mexico. She currently lives in Utica, New York where she’s an Assistant Professor of English at Utica College. She is the writer of Three Things @nocontactmag. More about Suzanne and her writing can be found here: suzannerichardsonwrites.tumblr.com, and here: @oozannesay.