Guzzle, Sarah B. Cahalan (June 2026)

Guzzle

The best gift was the ways you loved water.
Not place-specific, but a regard of water—
 
In the local pool, camped out up-creek,
Or, at church, the holy dove water—
 
Of its raw necessity. Cats’ paws knead
The sunset sea. Fuchsia, saffron, mauve water.
 
These ashes join the twice-daily baptism
Of cordgrass (S. alterniflora), now above water;
 
Now below, as the tide gulps and gargles,
Slurps and burps out rough water.
 
These narrow channels —what are they
Called? Runnels? Scrolling usgs-dot-gov: “water?”
 
Some back-of-Burke regional English word,
That’s what you called this kind of water.