Yahweh

By Sydney Horton

Inhale

The ocean fills its lungs

Steps back from the mainland’s shallow touch

Sucking loose sand and invertebrate

friends close

Exhale

Releases all that’s within its tidal grip

The sand is restored

Crabs are free to roam

Out of the water’s grip

If they can scurry out of the foamy lip

Before

Inhale

Glimmering, gray clouds

Menace the sky

Change the tide’s rhythm to

Fractious

Absorbing everything

Without thought of how much

Strength it takes

Exhale

Not letting go of anything long

Enough before bringing

It back to itself once more

Yah

I examine the things closest

To me and realize there’s too much

Seaweed, water bottles, decay

Weh

I release them into the mainland’s grip

not mine anymore

YAH—INHALE

WEH—EXHALE

Yah, inhale

Weh, exhale

The last grumbles of thunder

vibrate the air

The foam of the ocean is not so

Violent

Inhale

The sun sets

the tide rolls toward the last drips

Of orange sun

Exhale

The waves unfurl softly

The evening settles into cool

Stillness

Yah-Weh

Yah-Way

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Sydney Horton lives in the Appalachian Mountains of southwestern Virginia where she enjoys studying the English language as an undergrad. Her writing focuses on the biblical lens and how it can be skewed by our own humanity. You can find her upcoming work here.