“A ‘What If’ Rock Story” by E.A. Toles

a “what if” rock story

but what if the rock
was soft as flesh
or it missed
the mountain it
tumbled from
or the rain brought
out its pebbles
smelling of minerals
or it had
a mouth to drink
or to curse or scream
and it hid from
the roads of humans
and made its home
amongst broken things
and only drank enough
to forget the mountain
and the warmth of the sun
so far up, that
golden kiss every sunrise,
or it held dreams of
being a skipping stone,
the sort that’s warm
in your hand, the kind
you hesitate to throw
against the still of a place.

e.a. toles

e.a. toles is a poet learning to live in Austin, Texas. His work explores the relationship of mental health to spirituality and tries to answer the question, what is the marrow of life and how do I burrow myself into it? His poems have appeared in Rattle Magazine, Blaze Vox, Vallum Magazine, The Woodward Review, and Birds Piled Loosely. He is currently working on a science fiction novel.

Headshot: e.a. toles

Photo Credit: Staff