What Do Stars Look Like in the Middle of the Ocean
what do the waves feel like
are they calm, placid without wind
or violent as you charge
through swelling, white caps
between past and future
making you seasick
but not enough to turn back
only love can make us sail the open sea
never knowing what lies ahead
trusting what is on the other side
might be better than where we left
what we do not know
better than the desperation of war
starvation
what does the middle of the ocean feel like
where waves meet, crashing into each other
a known desolation into an unknown isolation
is there a silence so dark
you can hear your desires blaze
across the sky and fall into the sea
can you see a million of them
in a vastness that makes you feel
so small
so alone
only stars can hear your prayers
Jennifer Barone is the author of Saporoso, Poems of Italian Food & Love (Feather Press), host of the monthly WordParty Poetry & Jazz Series (thewordparty.com) and winner of the Poets Eleven contest for North Beach where she resides. Visit: jenniferbarone.wordpress.com for more.
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