Tearful Tsunami and Other Poems

By Mark Tulin

Tearful Tsunami

A torrential downpour
 washed away her dreams,
 and took her down
 a spiral of despair

 I rushed toward her
 like a lifeguard,
 rescuing the rain-soaked girl,
 whose broken spirit
 left her drowning
 in a tearful tsunami

 I found her in dangerous waters,
 gave her a life preserver
 to hold,
 a shoulder
 to cry on,
 and a heart
 that would never break.

A Prideful Glide

Drifting on fumes
 from family and friends,
 we glide over the Pacific,
 over sailing ships and jetties,
 flapping in syncopated rhythms
 of Pelicans undulating

We swoop and soar,
 catching each other's backdraught,
 having faith in our leader
 who guides us by chance

We take a prideful glide into glory,
 making new pathways in the air.

Atop a Speeding Bullet

To catch the big one
 To be brave enough
 to ride an unpredictable wave
 and to balance on its apex

 To watch the world
 atop a speeding bullet
 To know the power in its curl
 that lasts as long as a carnival ride

 And then to allow yourself
 to be eaten up and broken
 and to casually get back up
 on your polyurethane board.

Light of an Early Sun

I surf upon the blue water
 with the light of an early sun
 and hear the sounds of the ocean
 like a soothing metronome

 I peer into the distance
 paddling with cupped hands
 heading toward the horizon
 drifting with the fog

 I feel the misty refreshing cool
 in a buoyant swell of mercy
 in a strong wave of energy
 wrapped in a spongy suit of glory.

Dangle from the Moon

Between tall palms
 where the sky opens up,
 I see past the earth
 into an unlimited realm

 I can understand
 the way of all things,
 find my place in
 the universe

 Between tall palms,
 I can dangle from the crescent moon
 with one hand, and catch stars
 with the other

 I can dream up a fantasy
 that might come true one day,
 launch my own rocket ship
 without being called a fool

 I can hang out with Venus,
 float around the solar system,
 avoiding asteroids in space
 like a boundless schoolyard game.

Mark Tulin is a former psychotherapist who lives in California. He has a Pushcart Prize nomination for short story by Active Muse and authored Magical Yogis, Awkward Grace, The Asthmatic Kid and Other Stories, and Junkyard Souls. He appeared in numerous publications and podcasts. He can be found at https://www.crowonthewire.com.