Rise

Abstract

Rise Clare Jones (bio) While sleeping we do not risebut press one foot deeper. We pressour ears against each other and breatheonly as we live. When we don't, we pressears against the water. We pole throughmangrove until we get to opensea. The sea will be taking us. We fish among birds. We follow crowdsnot one solitary motion.The little boat rocks and we rockwith it. Sand gets in the water. The sun goes out like a fleckin a fingernail. Nate covers his eyeswith his mother's hair and cries.He won't look up and he's too heavyto hold. Is it the birds or the linethat fell behind us that scares him?His mother says it's neverbeen like this. Flies land in his mother's hairand spit. Some are bornin a ruck, some in a dimple.A surface is all that's needed. [End Page 197] Say the flies came toward uswhen we shook. Say they clung to usand staying still made themgo away. We look away and we lookfor somewhere to grab teethfirst. Feet come later. We save the little twistedand the flint. We slice into the youngtrees. The froth that spills is so thicksome things may balancewhere it's flat. The rock grows as wenear it with one solitary motionno one can explain except with cliff face. The sea made the rock looklike the inside of a lung. Some one hitthe shell with metal. Some thing skirted usas we dug. The boat went forwardas our heads turned back. Bloodcried the youngest. [End Page 198] Clare Jones Clare Jones is a graduate of Carleton College. Her work has been recognized with fellowships from the Fulbright Program and the Iowa Writers' Workshop, where she earned an MFA in 2014. She can be reached at clare.jones@fulbrightmail.org. Copyright © 2017 Clare Jones