EROSION

 

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is an exodus - 
           is movement in how 
                       water becomes an animal, 

gnaws away & 
           eats itself raw. 
                       the skinned knees of youth, 

the moving parts, 
           machine or otherwise 
                       that pull away from each other, 

into withdrawal. 
           a subtraction, leaving just the  
                       root - the pulse of the earth, 

the sand filtering through  
           an hourglass of memory   -is  
                       how my name leaves your tongue,  

& becomes a chorus of  
           echoes     -is the slow curve  
                       of your hand as it distances itself  

from mine the faster  
           I try to empty the water from  
                       the boat.     -is the host of the  

heart, the necessary erasure  
           that becomes vital once you 
                       remove yourself from the equation. 

the pillar, the pier, the  
           gradation of light in your eyes  
                       & the degree to which it fades. 

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BIO:

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​Jodi Balas is a neurodivergent poet based out of Northeastern Pennsylvania. Her poetry has been featured in December Magazine, The Shore, Chestnut Review, McNeese Review and elsewhere. Her poem "Bone Density" was the winning poem of the 2023 Comstock Review judged by Danusha Lameris. She is currently working on marketing her first full length manuscript. You can follow her musings on IG: @jodibalas_

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