A Click and Hug

I always thought Kali would return
as a dolphin. She loved swimming
the butterfly stroke in our lap pool.
We shared dreams of joining a pod
when we saw them as we motored
out to a tucked-away ocean cove.
One day—afterward—anchored
and alone, I realized she’s been home
all along—in our walk-in fireproof safe,
its skin mottled from coastal living,
the doors like welcoming arms.
Lately, we’ve been spending every day
together—sharing, not holding back.
In her secreted poems, I’m learning
what I didn’t know about myself, and
so much more about her. There’s so
much to say as I write in the margins. 

Richard L. Matta is originally from New York’s rustic Hudson Valley. After university studies in the Midwest, he eventually landed in San Diego, California where he and his dog make the most of the weather and San Diego Bay. His work is published in Hole in the Head Review, Healing Muse, San Pedro River Review, and elsewhere.