Second Thing in Oregon

by Olivia Bates

 

seaside:

a place for remembering
there is an end
a place that breathes for You
a lung machine
a place for all my feelings to hang out
a place for being terrifed
a place You can’t hold
that isn’t held by anything
a destination
                doesn’t mean destiny
a circle
island just means
                              i look out at the sea

 
Short Stories Magazine
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Olivia Bates is a poet, filmmaker, and curator at The Kesey Farm. She is the author of a chapbook, “You (or) leaving me behind,” and her poems will appear in Dizzy Magazine‘s forthcoming publication. She reads her work in New York City, Los Angeles, and throughout Oregon.