Sea Glass
Our Chilean tour guide told us
that an Earthquake
is when you surrender a scoop
of orange gelato into a flute
of trimmering white wine
but as we pass through
the cafe’s entrance
the only seismic being I see
as I Google how to say
help, doctor, please in Spanish
is my girlfriend
fracturing on the floor
hands clenching her head
like she’s trying to hold
her thoughts steady
enough for her heart
rate to come down
from Cerro Concepcion
muting the vibrant tones
that splash through the narrow
stairways and splinter her
into Bahia de Valparaiso
so that the full moon
can carry her
through the tides of tourist boats
to Vina del Mar
where her smooth body
can settle on the silent shore
instead of in a hospital bed
Cover Photo by Bernadetta Watts
