Why I'm Moving to New York

There's no comfort in a void. It's a landscape unknown. A dark pond that hides rocks, fallen trees, and dead fish.

But I've skinny dipped in enough dark water to know, that feeling your soft cold flesh in all that

salt

grey matter,

slick film

the not-knowing-how-deep-this-place-actually-is

is the surest way to realize your own body

to love the muscle and fat that you despised on land.

I remember the movie Free Willy.

When the orca paced its chlorine tank, fin curled in submission.

And then with love from a few of his captors

Who put him on a truck and poured small amounts of water on his body in transit

Rolled him back into the bay.

and Willy went back to sea.

It's enough to make one leap.