by Anna Kander

my creative spirit
is a blue whale, I think

she swims in deep waters
but we breathe the same air

and, like other blue whales,
she has the loudest, strongest voice on earth

which is fortunate (thank the earth)
because if there is a second voice

she’s a howler monkey—
loud, too, and rather obnoxious

that’s perfection, the crank upstairs
I’ve tried to evict, but she just won’t leave

she runs a lighthouse
illuminating the goal but not the path

through dark, choppy waters
to where I aim but never land

always at sea

(thank the stars) my spirit is part whale
and I can dwell among those who don’t reach

all the shining high lights
or the shores they seek

despite all that double-edged help from
howler monkeys in lighthouses

(thank the sea)

I breathe just fine down here.

Anna Kander | @annakander |annakander.com

Anna Kander is a writer in the Midwest. Her work is published or forthcoming in journals including Star*Line, Leveler and Train. Find her at annakander.com or @annakander on Twitter.