Mekonenet / Mourning Woman
By Rachel Kann

There is an oceanic
pain-knowing,

a tide
no soul
should ever
be made to
swim against,

a depth
no person should
have to go below,

where no diving bell can spirit,
wherein no veiled escape is available,

where the wailing penetrates;
leaks in compulsive melodies
from behind every curtain’s
intended modesty.

The Gddss herself
can’t help but be
boggled
at the thought
of all that staggering loss,
the roiling sea
in need
of grieving.

There is an edge,
beyond which,
it is enough
to do nothing,
except let
the bends
crack your chest,

relent into the bottomless vessel
life has forged,

all the salt
and water
poured,

expand
past every shore.