Born by the Black Sea

She has Black Sea eyes
and Black Sea hair.

She washed ashore
one day, whole

a complete work
turned in by the waves.

She walked a thousand miles
and then another thousand,

came to me,
laid her head

in my lap,
and said “Keep me,

I’m here.”
And she is,

she is here
and I keep her

the way that I can,
but I know

when she breathes
she still breathes

the Black Sea air.

–June 2, 2016