Ahogando

Poetry by Christiane Williams-Vigil

Here I am,

drowning in black waters,

fighting against sudden rough storms.

Trying to keep my head above the waves.

Ancient seas slap my skin

leaving raw red welts.

Desperately, I am kicking

even though my muscles burn and long to tear.

I am calling out her name.

Manifesting a sign that she is still alive.

I see her drift closer.

Her face calms in the chaos.

My hand extends out,

begging her to want salvation.

She recoils, content to not make it.

She has been longing to sink to the bottom.

Above us,

lightning strobes and thunder cries out,

matching our struggling hearts within.

Slowly, I watch her fade under the currents.

Here she leaves me

fighting

screaming out sprays of salty mist.

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Christiane Williams-Vigil has a degree in English and American Literature from the University of Texas at El Paso. Her work has been featured in BorderSenses’ anthology ‘Life in the Times’ and in Marshall University’s ‘Movable: Narratives of Recovery Project.’

Tip Christiane Williams-Vigil

Image by Anandu Vinod