Ark of the Lost Angels

The Atlantic Ocean from Belmar, NJ _{(Credit: Author)}

Originally written December 11th, 2023. Inspired by “Live with Me” by Massive Attack.

The ocean wipes away a multitude of sins.
Even as we all have blood on our hands,
Nothing compares to the ways we scar ourselves,
Hearts gushing red into the saltwater for no good reason.

Shoes sink into sand on sweltering summer nights,
Lips locked in a doomed embrace depriving us of oxygen,
Unable to think straight so we delude ourselves.
We say that this time, it’ll be different.

Midnight lights of the Empire City backdrop transient paradise.
Heaven’s lifespan expires on a crowded train platform.
They were a secret meant to stay buried,
And yet you shouted joyously from the rooftops.

A few hundred miles for the hands of another,
Yet a fraction of that was insurmountable for yours.
The heart makes liars of us all,
But some people find the falsehoods far too easy. 

A pleasant corner of the world is thoroughly poisoned.
It’s impossible to step foot in the sands or listen to the ocean.
There is too much blood, too much pain.
All because of the blinding nature of a fool’s hope.

The blood only stains the ocean for a moment.
The blood is inconsequential to the water. 
The blood is too high a price for knowledge. 
The blood of promises never to be fulfilled. 

They say to never sever ties forever.
Sometimes only the heat of a burning bridge can stave off lethal cold.
Sometimes scorched earth is necessary for a battered heart to push forward.
Sometimes breathing black smoke forces one to seek fresh air.

The most important lessons are self-inflicted, and the most painful.