PAULA CISEWSKI

Tyros’ World Tour

Each of us captaining
a solitary lifeboat.
As if we are lost
at sea. We’ve never
been to sea. We studied
the Triumphant Explorers of Celluloid
and acted as if we ourselves weathered
their expeditions, could now
shed arctic layers. We
shivered at the thought. As if none
of us will ever be a dead body in our lives.
Which we logically won’t.
Therefore, our further lives are
to be one astounding caper:
our mothers’ cheeks streaked
with sudden maternal pride!
Because each lifeboat appeared
like a Polaroid of a heart,
we are pulling our boats                           
together with rope. And then
we will name the rope.