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Animalia

three deer down to Little River runoff this morning seal pup warmed himself on the docks while his mother rolled rollicked bobbled near the boats that floated into port with their catch down down to the tideflats jasmine honeysuckle sweet pea cedar smoke strong perfume great blue chewed a rubbery cross-eyed skate for an hour bit shook dropped it in the rocks picked it up again married eagles circled wings flapped skimmed the water’s surface in low tide I walk easy on the shore spider crabs are mine oysters blue-lipped clams jellyfish spread like hubcaps fried egg jellies zip the wake I watch listen drink coffee from a speckled tin cup given me by my father who was given it by his father his cup in these woods at this cusp we slurpslurp the moon hung ill day and night and day turkey vulture perched on an abandoned picnic table where I met the couple whose hands grow from their shoulders we spoke of cars and dogs shared my peanut butter sandwich once I washed my hair in a tide pool once I built illegal fires on the beach to keep my body warm once the ocean gave back immense noise and pressure tumbletossed me into a weird translucent hybrid three deer down to Little River runoff this morning the moon stayed in the sky day and night and day