Milos

Milos was published in The Broadkill Review, October 3, 2019.

I put my wife and boys
on a boat off a southern beach
my stomach is no good on boats
the wind was down
the sea flat and green

Later, the wind rose
a single bell tolled
from the Byzantine tower
cicadas sawed from a
bent eucalyptus
in the church square
but I don’t believe in omens

Tonight, after my family
have rinsed the salt and
suncream from their skin
we will eat our last dinner
on Milos
wine, olives
scorpion fish

Who knows
what change
will have come?