shallows
by Miriam Gayize
Gauteng, South Africa
they're sullen cheeks
tears from my young eyes
the crook of a warm neck
or the readiness of a
friend's shoulder
they're wounds,
tended to lightly
with mama's kisses
they're the mud
on my small hands
and the stillness
of the world
when a baby cries
in the shallows
my insides are out
no need to search
for where it hurts
or why it is hurting
the shallows are my
birth place and place
of rest
in the shallows
i have accepted
the parts of me
that have grown weak
and seek refuge where
they can exhale
i have thanked them
for holding me up
when they could
in the shallows
my soul sails onward
the moon will lead me home
Miriam Gayize
Miriam Gayize is a young poet from South Africa who encapsulates the stories of her life and the harshness of the world within her poetry while also learning to heal through it. Her work has been featured at Odd Magazine, Crêpe and Penn, and a few other literary sites.
Header Image by Altınay Dinç