by Daniel Rortvedt
because it’s teeming with trout & red rot & apples.
Because it’s brown, blue, & purple.
Because clay. Because dirt. Because God speaks to us
through this gaping-wide
hole in His mouth while swallowing seagulls.
Because a baby duck
imprints on the Virgin Mary.
Because There Ain’t No Tide Here but Ripples.
Because baskets made of inner tubes float,
because smooth rocks on the schoolhouse beach
gather sunscreen.
Tell me which: lakeside or oceanside? Mouth or arrow?
A blue/teal taste of salt. No. An open fish tank top spilling.
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Daniel Rortvedt is the author of the poetry chapbook LAYERS (2024). His poetry appears in The Baltimore Review, JAKE, Lunch Ticket, word west revue, and other places.