landlocked

landlocked
in love
with the ocean,
a creature of the woods
longs for the sea
grows up and moves
to a city
still

landlocked,
the woods buried
under their fingernails
and gripping at their ankles
while their blood begs
for salt by gulpful
and their ears echo
the song of seashells.
they read textbooks and watch documentaries
about octopuses and whales and sharks
about vampire squid and tripod fish and snowcrabs
until they feel as close as the squirrels and pigeons at their doorstep.
but then they close the book
turn off the screen
flip over the picture
and they are back to being

landlocked
between coasts
as they always have been
happy but dreaming
about the world
opposite the woods
they love
the woods
because it is
in their blood,
stretched back through
their family line
of woodland creatures
in human skin,
of women with plant magic,
of men trees take shape under,
of children who make friends
with newts and frogs and snakes and wild turkeys
it is

landlocked
in their skin,
all the itchweed
blackberry juice
sorrel flowers
thorns and moss
in their bones,
holding them upright and steady
like the trees that raised them
that helped them sleep when
beds were too soft
they are in love
with it because it is home
they are in love
with the ocean
because it is not
because it is unknown
and it is guessing
because it is fantasy
made reality
but they are

landlocked
watching it fade
watching it die
watching it turn into a classic tragedy
but worse
because it doesn’t have a fatal flaw to blame
except that humanity lives on its shores
and sails its waves
when the first tragedy was written
humanity respected the ocean
but now it uses it
as a stepping stool
to outer space
which will not provide
the haven they believe it will
in exchange for the home
the leaders they did not choose
would rather abandon
those with power
will let the ocean die
before they can have a chance
to not be

landlocked
for long enough
to see it
outside of page and screen and photo
the coral will have no color
the whale will have no song
the octopus will have no shape
the shark will have no teeth
the depths will have no mystery
They will still be young and

landlocked
when they watch it become
reality turned fantasy,
the same as the lands of once upon a time
and far far away
with no happily ever after
on its borders.
and the woods
will soon follow
in the ocean’s footsteps
until there is nothing
but humanity begging
tragedy to reverse
with its last breath
creatures of the woods
will long for the sea
while mourning the woods
and creatures of the sea
will long for the woods
while mourning the sea
and every creature in between
will long and mourn in turn
until everywhere is lost
to wishing for what used to be.