Cut outs moving like vaudeville
through tiny slits of reality
thin sliced, deli cut life.

Come see the show
but you should know
the show is all you’ll see;

The surface of an ocean
shimmers with the light of the sun
but it is neither.

The cutouts, void on paper
run together as shadows
yet they are neither.

For paper was once whole
and the ocean is steeped in history
lives are lived beyond the periphery.

Though we can never see what lies within
without ourselves diving in
taking the risk to live unguided,

Sometimes it’s nice to just sit and watch
these figures dancing through frames
the sun dewed water pulling at the sand,

sometimes it is nice enough to live
and let live
to be done for the day.