THE RAVEN REVIEW
  • Home
  • About
    • About Us
    • Contributors
    • Support Us
  • Submit
  • Current Issue
  • Archive
    • Volume I >
      • Issue I
      • Issue II
      • Issue III
      • Issue IV
    • Volume II >
      • Issue I
      • Issue II
      • Issue III
      • Issue IV
    • Volume III >
      • Issue I
      • Issue II
      • Issue III
      • Issue IV
    • Volume IV >
      • Issue I
      • Issue II
      • Issue III
      • Issue IV
    • Volume V >
      • Issue I
      • Issue II
      • Issue III
      • Issue IV
    • Volume VI >
      • Issue I
      • Issue II
  • Home
  • About
    • About Us
    • Contributors
    • Support Us
  • Submit
  • Current Issue
  • Archive
    • Volume I >
      • Issue I
      • Issue II
      • Issue III
      • Issue IV
    • Volume II >
      • Issue I
      • Issue II
      • Issue III
      • Issue IV
    • Volume III >
      • Issue I
      • Issue II
      • Issue III
      • Issue IV
    • Volume IV >
      • Issue I
      • Issue II
      • Issue III
      • Issue IV
    • Volume V >
      • Issue I
      • Issue II
      • Issue III
      • Issue IV
    • Volume VI >
      • Issue I
      • Issue II

The Swimmer

by John Tustin
When I finally get to sleep
I swim out to that pile of rocks
Where she has been calling me
 
With her eyes that are
All the oceans of the earth
 
And her mouth that is
Fanning leaves and dark cool sand and ripe fruit.
 
She calls me each night
From her pile of rocks
Just within reach of this out-of-shape swimmer
 
And I come up to her with my face red
And my chest largely heaving.
 
We sit together side by side waiting in the pre-dawn
For the sky to turn from purple to orange-red to blue.
 
We don’t say a word.
Her hip touches mine
While we wait for the morning to come
 
And for me to awaken – forgetting her like every morning;
Forgetting her eyes that are all the oceans of the earth.

John Tustin’s poetry has appeared in many disparate literary journals in the last thirteen years. Read some of his published poetry at fritzware.com/johntustinpoetry.