REBECCA BALL
foam and waves
boy and girl career towards each other as if
they’re about to dance but boy’s foam ring
is a bumper boat bouncing off waves
walls legs casting girl to the sea floor
the boy’s mother, round bellied
yells from the shore out get out
but boy’s boat is steaming
foam and waves turning
tacking ploughing
out his mother calls, tears sharpening
each vowel into points and boy jumps ship
rolls to his thin back in the wake he has made
smiles at the corrugated roof lets water
fill his ears warm salt on his tongue
he kicks his legs into it all once twice again laughing
splashing chlorine in the girl’s eyes and she’s clutching
her ring screaming the lifeguard blowing a whistle
it slicing through the swell and into his eardrums
he falls to his knees starts scooping
pool water into his mouth with his hand
out drips down his mother’s cheek he laps
like a thirsty dog gulping down the chlorine
the cut of the whistle his round bellied mother
the ball of a sister inside