Exploration
by James Joseph Brown
When the world was an ancient
map and water a cure for hunger
I climbed the steps of the sanatorium
and spent all day in the salt cave
breathing, just breathing, once
the doctor narrowed her eyes
at the screen, stopped smiling
politely, said hmm, now that
is something, lab results pending
frozen in my chair, the long wait
the map on the wall, gorgons and
hydras biting the corners, the sun
and the moon serene and unbothered
the depths of the ink blue sea
map and water a cure for hunger
I climbed the steps of the sanatorium
and spent all day in the salt cave
breathing, just breathing, once
the doctor narrowed her eyes
at the screen, stopped smiling
politely, said hmm, now that
is something, lab results pending
frozen in my chair, the long wait
the map on the wall, gorgons and
hydras biting the corners, the sun
and the moon serene and unbothered
the depths of the ink blue sea
James Joseph Brown is an American writer and educator based in Dubai. He received his MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. His poetry has appeared in Red Rock Review, Santa Ana River Review, Desert Companion, 300 Days of Sun, and other publications. Visit him at www.jamesjosephbrown.com or find him on social media.