We thought we would die if the water
swallowed us. We preferred to fight
many-headed monsters at daybreak
than spiral to the coral-veined heart
of our fears.
We thought we would die. Then we grew
gills. Our ship broke down and we let it
let water waltz with our shadows,
let schools of fish ripple our schools
of thought.
I met Scylla and I kissed her; my scars
fluttered open, and I could see
out of them.
Elsa H. Lyons is a young writer, dancer, and student of the earth. Her work has been recognized by the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers. She lives in the city and the country, in the world and in herself, and in the spaces in between.