Three Six Five
by Emilee Wigglesworth
Solace in the wicker
rocking chair, in the lull
of a wave, kiss her
goodnight with speckled
scallop shells drying out
on the granite counter,
seaweed tangled
legs pressed together
underwater & this fear
of God coursing
through these ice cold
oceans of memory,
with the overalls rolled up
over the knee.
In every thought I am
a girl & in every moment
I am the adult that carries
her—cradles her, conjures
her spirit, lets her
steer the course,
& I am getting better
at plucking shells
from the shoreline
& identifying them by name.
Look darling, a lightning whelk.
I try to approach my life
with more curiosity,
as a child I had not realized
sand dollars
were once alive.
Emilee Wigglesworth (they/them) is a queer poet from Florida. They are an MFA candidate at North Carolina State University. Their work is featured in Defunkt Magazine. Their writing often explores themes of family, memory, grief, and identity as it intersects with the natural world. You can find them on Instagram.
