Leave the woman taking
this picture, Dad;
dive into the water and
swim for your life.
Crawl onto the beach of
the next village and
marry the prettiest
girl you see. That night,
when I come to you in
nightmares, please stay
calm, as I will bring
scenes from your foregone future:
holes the size of fists
in closet doors, and
choirs of rum bottles
on window sills.
Feel better by going for
a walk on the beach.
Peer across the water
and imagine
the boy from your dream,
smiling and waving. He is
happy that, for you,
he simply never was.