on the damp moss
amongst ancient dead ferns
raindrops drip of the edge
she has been there for years
the memory of her belly touching the sea
waves crashing on her bottom
to carry people over water
without their feet getting wet
she has become a forest boat
animals cradle in her stomach
her wooden parts grow roots
mingle with the soil and slip away
becoming earthly
stay through seasons
facing the sea but don’t dip
the tide will come to get us
endings circle around
like swifts who never land
Emma’s thoughts are transparent
clouds pass by but don’t stick
her body one with the dirt
seeds nestle and burst into life
Roos Hermsen 