He sweeps back my tangled mess of hair,
kisses my neck and murmurs,
you taste like the sea.
My mermaid net collects this pearled moment,
like shells, like beach glass, in a jar on my desk,
soft-colored and smooth to the touch,
pressing them into a poem-cup, like a sip of the sea.
© 2025 Jennifer Wagner
Poetic Bloomings: Collections & Gatherings