Ali Salzmann
Marriage
“There was an old woman I wished up. / She was the wife / of an old pond. / You could watch her swim in her husband…”
. –The Wishing Bone Cycle
She takes palms of water to her lips,
drinks, and licks the algae off her fingers.
Fish nibble at her toes. She submerges slowly
and holds her breath under the surface.
Seaweed rubs her legs. Her hair dances
around her like a mane of smoke as she glides
in his silky coolness. Her sweat dissipates
into him; her nipples harden. Her floating
body causes surface ripples. She loves these still
days when they can share the quiet. She opens
her eyes underwater so she can see him, so
he can seep into her.
About the writer:
Ali Salzmann graduated with an MFA in Creative Writing from Texas State University, where she currently works as a Lecturer. She is also an Adjunct Assistant Professor at Austin Community College.
Image: Twilight by Nikolay Vryasov. Pastel on carboard. 62×47 cm. No date specified. By permission. Vryasov is the O:JA&L Featured Artist for July 2019.
