Andrea Ramos, USA
The waves curl like a cat’s hunched back,
the charcoaled sky running its fingers over her fur.
She pounces on humans as they struggle through,
teeth catching legs and feet. She brings gifts
of seaweed even when we don’t appreciate it.
She allows us to ride her back with our boats
and stick our human fingers in her fur.
We abandon her when we are done,
leaving scraps—nothing she asked for.
So she keeps her most important parts hidden,
her paws never revealing the secret places.
She knows we would not be able to protect them.
Andrea Ramos received her bachelor’s from California State University, Northridge and is currently pursuing her Masters in English at Eastern New Mexico University. She has been published in The Northridge Review and enjoys horseback riding, reading, writing poetry and fiction, and Harry Potter.
