Skins, Forms, Flows, Tones
![Red water droplet.](https://worldliteraturetoday.org/sites/default/files/2017/may/red-water-droplet-jake-bellucci.jpg)
What holds water in a drop
tension that holds humans in
between
their sweet skins
water holds us
her arms bays
tide of blood
beat so close
just our skins
between
home and ocean
inland sea
river just between us
just a beat
between
who you are
who I am
who we are
We call our own way back
climb a liquid ladder
pour ourselves into
various and fluid forms
Between
bluegreen bays
gray lakes
river feeding life into our bodies
We flow across continents
flow through peoples
one water no matter
our drift the rifts
and rips of tides
Our skins vibrate afire
concordant a blood current
sounding
Just us
Just this skin between us
Skins skin kin kindred
kind red kind
kin skin
What holds water in a drop
tension that holds humans
between their sweet skins
her arms bays
tide of blood
beat so close
just our skins
between
home and body of water
just between us
just a beat
between
who you are
who I am
who we are
You wear your skin no matter where
you inherited your tones smooth
over structure of bone anyone who
looked at you would know No
Your home of skin
Warm cool sleek subtle shag of
days
steam of work sweat and regret and
inked to say
My skin’s a story
you cannot guess
a history you cannot claim
Tones songs forms to say
Let me tell you you won’t know me
by my blue-black blurred word
that bled into fade
no matter
My skin’s a story
you cannot guess
My people made me
My water claims me
You cannot guess
I swim a liquid ladder
Distance no matter no home too far
Skins skin kin kindred
kind red kind
kin skin
Carry me across dry days
My skin my own sweet home for water
Beating blood of history
We water walking we skins