medusae

underwater they are terribly

farsighted, your body blurs







as you approach. their bodies

are set elsewhere. heavy







chandeliers sinking

with chains braided by wax,







tempting you to reach into

their folds and search them







for whatever you threw

into the murky sea,







see if they would spill out

or harden like shells.







you peel one, look for the heart,

highly organized water,







it is shaking. you find a stone,

apply pressure, watch it shatter.