Relinquishment
by Zoe Krabbe
Zoe is one of our Writer's Residency finalists and will be published in our upcoming Anthology later this year. Read more about the program - and meet all the finalists - here. --
We stood in the clearing, bare feet anchored into the sand.
Bellies, filled with static,
muffled by the leaves dangling overhead.
The sun shone her last rays onto us,
into us, before
she closed her eyes;
The moon opened hers.
We all stood,
silent,
to greet her upon arrival.
Tiny crabs fled their homes to bring offerings -
balls of dirt
broken shells.
Like the snakes, now gathering
near the edge of the clearing, we shed our skin.
Curious eyes resting on each other,
small piles of fabric, claimed.
Waves folded into each other, deeper and deeper,
as we undressed ourselves for the taking.
Seaweed gave itself
around our ankles.
Goosebumps rose
to the air.
We stayed silent.
A sacrifice.