Seagulls twist air in their gray
bodies. Waves heave themselves on the sand. If there is an antique
myth
people recall here, or a god presiding over huge waters
that I could invoke, I am not aware of it.
But I can see that oceans carry hearts
turning blood. At ocean’s shores, reeling seagulls are ghosts of
children
who lived alone ; their cries rush down their own
brain holes like a numbing wind.
Questions and Answers
What inspired “Seagulls Twist Air”?
I wrote “Seagulls Twist Air” when I was in grade ten or eleven, so this is the work of a teenager. I’m looking at a seagull and at the same time trying to be genuine and honest and faithful to what I feel and think about aspects of my life up to that time.
What poetic techniques did you use in “Seagulls Twist Air”?
I was trying here to create a verse pattern (a rudimentary one, of course). I’ve always been partial to pattern and neatness in the appearance of a poem on the page. Also, aside from satisfying a visual need, for me a verse pattern can be a way to get control of the emotion and drama in a poem.