“Learning to float”

Trust
the salt water under your head.
Do not let your chest cave in—your feet
do not need supervising—keep
your whole body straight—
take a deep breath, immerse
your crown and contemplate
the borderless sky. Yes

yes, this sea is powerful
but you know its gentle
swell if you keep awake will
never take you far from shore.
Stretch your arms and legs out wide.
Become embodied star.

Recording of my reading hosted on the Wildfire Words website

Clare Bryden “Learning to float”, text and audio, Wildfire Words, Open Submissions 7, January-February 2025, online.