FRIENDLY REMINDER

When I remind you about the ocean I don’t
mean about our hypothetical
honeymoon in some island overseas. When
I remind you about the ocean I mean
the voice of our fishermen whose tanned
backs recorded the history of sun,
horizon, sweat, chlorine, and oil
companies that poisoned the water.
When I remind you about the ocean I don’t
mean those deceased writers who
over romanticized it the way they glorified
raindrop or sunset. When I remind
you about the ocean I want you to remember
those who drowned during war, those
who suffered before your grand
cruise, those who swam to save other’s
lives but never got back to the shore.

When you say I remind you of the
ocean do you not know that I came from
an abyss where the darkest chasm is

By Innas Tsuroiya

Biography:

Innas Tsuroiya (b. 1997) is an Indonesian writer girl and aspiring filmmaker. Her work has appeared in Flapperhouse, Sea Foam, Thistle, among others. She can be contacted via personal site (http://innazo.us) and twitter @innazous.