Acquainted with the Sea

Once I had lived it,
It was in my veins
And in my lungs;
It was in my bones.

Once we had been
On intimate terms,
It drenched my nightmares,
Engulfed my dreams.

Once the voice of the sea
Was in my ears,
I could hear its cry
In every shell and open space.

Once the taste of it
Was in my mouth,
I would crave that
Briny sting forever.

Once I had known
The vastness of the sea,
Everything else
Was dwarfed.

Once I had witnessed
Its violence,
There would always be
Something wild in me–
Savage and sacred.