One empties
and fills; the other
trickles. Both
keep me afloat.
When talk runs
out with the tide, only
silence lets
words rise inside me.
Alone, I feel the wave
of hour/day/year
that motions us
together.
Guests arrive, then
leave. Between visits,
I discover my life all
over again.
Some intrusion—
like an oar in the water—
will allow
me to move.
Where the current runs
strong, no stroke will cut
through it, so I float.
Just float.
Meredith Davies Hadaway is the author of five books of poetry including Small Craft Warning, a collaborative chapbook with artist Marcy Dunn Ramsey. Her latest collection, [Among the Many Disappearing Things] was issued in fall 2024, from Grayson Books. She is currently the Sophie Kerr Poet-in-Residence at Washington College in Chestertown, Maryland.