Purge
written by: Timothy A. Agnew
they warned us about the storm
that the water would be sucked from the sea
and spit on us like dragons
they pleaded with us
as they faced nefarious winds
in a painted
coiffed tableau
no hair out of follicle
no attire untidy
and told us
to tattoo names on our arms
in permanent marker
in case the water surged
and left us bloated in the attic
or drifting in places we didn’t belong
so the sea swelled
and salt erased
the unerasable
fracturing
the mangrove leaves
like bleached parchment
leaving us naked
undefined
rearranged
they warned us about the storm
that the water would rise
and lift everything to the sky
until
remnants of what was
floated like balsa
down streets that never accepted us
finally unplugged
and fat like sponges
their pale faces
expunged
because they were already
drowned
